


Baby Daddy

by teakturn



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Chefs, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Comfort Food, Erik Never Goes To Wakanda, Extramarital Affairs, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Friends to Lovers, Not Black Panther (2018) Compliant, POV Alternating, Pregnancy, Stress Baking, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:40:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 49,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22500037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teakturn/pseuds/teakturn
Summary: Ruby's the mom. Erik's just her neighbor. So why are they raising a baby together?
Relationships: Erik Killmonger/Original Female Character(s), Erik Killmonger/Original Female Character(s) of Color, Erik Killmonger/Ruby Brown
Comments: 134
Kudos: 197





	1. 8 Weeks

Erik Stevens didn’t like client meetings. He honestly didn’t like his clients. He hated sitting with them and forcing down an expensive meal rife with subtext and innuendo. All he wanted to do was get down to brass tacks. How much did they want to spend and how much was he getting on the commission.

Ulysses Klaue had the benefit of being a billionaire and the launchpad for Erik’s career. The Belgian Billionaire had a fetish for African art and a reputation for paying on time. Erik snatched him right from under his mentor’s nose and used the money from his first commission to go out on his own. He'd only been twenty-one at the time.

Klaue had been a loyal if demanding client of his for a decade now. And while Erik didn’t like the man, he’d elevated his quality of life so he tried to tolerate Klaue’s grandstanding.

One thing Erik hated, beyond client meetings, was clients that wasted his time. Half of his meetings could be solved in email. Yet they insisted on trapping him in situations he had no business being in.

Like now, for instance. He’d come to this restaurant at Klaue’s insistence. Erik had a habit of coming to client meetings fifteen minutes early. It allowed him time to secure a table and scope out the menu without being watched. His clients ranged between old white men wanting a taste of black culture and old white women wanting a taste of Erik. They all invited him to dinner or lunch or coffee and they all _watched_ him. What he ordered. How he ordered. How he pronounced the French words on fancy scented cardstock menus.

It was exhausting. Years of meditation and discipline kept Erik from lashing out, but only just.

Erik hadn’t seen the couple when he’d chosen this booth, but they had to have arrived ten minutes after he was seated. He'd chosen the booth because it was in the back corner of the restaurant and it had a view of the kitchen and two exits. The Belgian Billionaire was late, big surprise. Klaue knew Erik’s stance on wasting his time. So after ordering and eating his lunch Erik he scanned the room for a waiter and packed up his portfolio.

A soft-spoken, feminine voice carried to Erik while he searched. He'd been intent on locating a waiter and wasn't paying attention to the occupants of the booth behind him.

“Olly the shoot schedule looks nice and all but I think we’re going to have to talk about the baby at some point.” her blunt way of speaking was softened because of the strange, dreamy quality of her voice. Like a cartoon angel or sleepy baby. Erik wasn’t good at describing shit like that.

Erik stiffened immediately. if there was anything he hated more than late clients and client meetings it was being in the middle of someone else's business. Erik had gotten this far in life by staying in his lane and sticking to himself. He'd rather go back to the military than be stuck in a booth while a relationship crashed and burned behind him.

He glanced around the restaurant for a waiter. He only wanted to spot one before the couple could carry on with their breakup. Erik didn't want to be in the room when they inevitably began yelling and crying at each other. _Fuck the person who designed this fucking restaurant!_ The booths were meant to look like high backed chairs or something, but all they did was obstruct Erik’s peripheral vision.

The silence was broken by a cold, accented voice intoning, “I already have four children Ruby. Think of Moira, the shoot schedule has already been so hard for her. And you know she has a book tour coming up.”

Erik scoffed, really nigga? Erik settled back in his seat, he had to hear this play out. There was still a chance Klaue could show up and in the meantime, Erik could be entertained.

He expected the woman he’d heard before to snap back, instead she carried on in that sweet, soft-spoken voice. The only give away that the other man’s words had affected her was the slightly insistent lilt of her sweet voice.

“I know all that. I’ve known that. I did not come to you with this to derail anything. You know how much I never wanted to be a burden on anyone. But we have to discuss this. I’m not going to suddenly stop being pregnant if we don’t talk about it.” she paused, then continued, a question in her dreamy voice, “Although it’s an admirable idea. Imagine if it worked?”

Erik had to fight off a smile at that. It was such a nonsensical thing to say. It was as if she didn’t understand the gravity of the conversation she was having. Or maybe she did and this was her way of coping? Erik didn’t have time to figure it out, that accented voice hissed at her.

“Ruby, what could you possibly expect me to do about that? You know I don’t have time for another child. With the new show shooting soon and then we roll right into the tour for _Get Out The Kitchen_. We have the opening for _La Femme_ in four months.” he sighed, as if it pained him to be such a dickhead, “I’m gonna need you on your feet and ready to go.”

Erik clenched his jaw, all humor fading. Listening to this wasn’t fun anymore. He should leave and let them finish this important, private conversation. But a stubborn part of him wanted to hear what the woman would say, so he stayed in his seat.

The soft-spoken angel didn’t speak for several beats. Erik nearly grew impatient enough to lean around the booth and beg her to fucking speak up. She had to have a response to the most self piece of shift Erik had ever heard in his life. And he worked with billionaires.

“I understand what’s at stake Oliver. I just…” the angel sighed, “I’m going to have this baby. I have my first visit with the doctor next week. I was hoping to discuss adjusting the filming schedule around my pregnancy. Maybe discuss taking a backseat in the kitchen until after the baby arrives.”

“Ruby I won’t allow you to implicate me in this. I can’t have you waddling around on camera and bringing up questions you know we both can’t answer.” the man sighed, and the woman started speaking in that dreamy, insistent voice. Erik suspected it was as close to begging as she got.

“I won’t ask for more of you than you’re willing to give but you can’t fire me because I’m pregnant. I love my job, Oliver. I put as much blood sweat and tears into what we’ve created as you have.”

“What _we_ created? I’m sorry my dear but where were you when I was toiling away under the tutelage of the Greats? Getting my life threatened over shallots and overcooked scallops? I paid my dues long before you came along with your _caramels_ and _dimples_.”

The vitriol in the other man’s voice makes Erik’s hackles rise. He clenched his fist under the table, his body now one long line of tension in the booth. 

“Of course, I know-” Ruby tried to placate Oliver and Erik felt sick to his stomach at the sound of her already soft voice growing weak and earnest like that. She cared deeply for the man disrespecting her and Erik hated to see it. Just on principle, he didn’t believe in kicking someone while they were down. Yet this “Oliver” had no such morals.

“The network and I discussed bringing in one of those Instagram chefs for the ratings. Someone with a decent following to bring in another audience.”

Silence fell over the table like a wet blanket. When Ruby spoke, her voice had a care lack of any emotion at all. Though it seemed to retain it’s dreamy quality, “So you’d decided to replace me long before the baby then.” she huffed what Erik was sure was meant to be a laughed yet sounded too devastated to hit the mark.

A sniffle followed the huff and Erik felt devastated _for_ her. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t raging out. He’d have flipped the table as soon as ‘Oliver’ said, “I already have four children.” Those were fucking fighting words alone. And the way he spoke to her wasn’t any better, both condescending and indulgent. Like she was a pet to him, a misbehaving one at that.

The dirty dog was fine laying down with his employee and cheating on his supposedly fragile wife. Yet he showed no mercy for the woman before him. The woman he knew was carrying his child at that very second. Erik had always thought of himself as a cold bastard. He’d done things during his service he’d rather not think of, and even _he_ thought this was cold-blooded.

Emotional warfare only a few feet away, at brunch no less.

“I guess that’s it then. I’m out of the job and you want nothing to do with our child.”

“Well, I’ll still need you for the opening of _La Femme_. Be serious Ruby we built that place together. Four years on the road has worked up to this, remember?”

Erik couldn’t believe what he was hearing. One second Asshole Olly was talking down to her for even thinking he’d be interested in his unborn child, now he was insisting he help him open his restaurant.”

Erik listened intently for Ruby’s response. She’d been disappointingly mild throughout the conversation but she had to have _something_ to say to that at least? A person could only tolerate so much disrespect.

“Then consider this my informal request for maternity leave.” Ruby’s soft voice had the slightest edge to it.

“Consider it denied.”

Ruby huffed, “Then consider this my resignation. You can want nothing to do with my baby, but you can’t bully me into abandoning it too.”

“I can’t condone this Ruby.” the fucker actually had the gall to sound disappointed. Erik wanted nothing more than to turn around in his seat and let him know just what _he_ thought of this whole clusterfuck of a meeting.

At that moment Klaue, with perfect timing, as usual, announced himself from across the room, “Mr. Stevens! How kind of you to faithfully await my arrival.” He approached with the hostess speedwalking a step behind him.

Erik’s attention snapped away from the trainwreck in the booth at his back. He fixed Klaue with an unimpressed stare, “You’re thirty minutes late. I was just about to bounce.”

Klaue’s shiny, manic blue eyes widen impossibly more, “So there’s still enough time for me to order a cup of something delicious while you show me what you’ve bought with my money.”

Klaue settled across from Erik and the hostess smoothly slid him a menu. Klaue immediately snatched it up and grinned at Erik from over the top of it.

“Go on then Mr. Stevens, wow me.”

Erik rolled his eyes and subtly shook the tension out of his frame. It was for the best that Klaue showed up when he did. Erik was getting way too caught up in someone else’s business and he knew better than that. How had he let himself get worked up over something that didn’t concern him? Had he learned nothing from his father’s mistakes?

Schooling his features from annoyed to blank, Erik spread his portfolio before Klaue and waited patiently as the billionaire perused its contents. And he did _not_ , _absolutely did not_ hear the pitiful sounds of quiet sniffling from the booth behind him.


	2. 8 Weeks And Single

“You’re making me feel like a right bastard, Ruby,”

It took very little to detangle their lives. Six years of traveling, restaurant openings, and failures. Six years enduring the highs and lows of the culinary world; gone in two phone calls and a series of emails. Their agents and the network didn't hesitate to announce their surprise. But they accepted Ruby and Oliver’s vague excuse of Ruby taking time for herself well enough.

It helped that the network had already been planning on replacing her. Now they didn’t have to worry about backlash.

Ruby cried throughout the whole process, silent tears that Oliver did not comment on. They agreed to keep news of the baby away from the network until Ruby was ready to tell them. It wasn’t stated outright but it was clear he would not want any part of that either. 

Wiping her wet cheeks, Ruby fixed him with a sad, reserved look, “Neither one of us is in the right here...” licking her lips, she considered how to phrase these next words.

“Neither of us went into this expecting it to end in any way but heartbreak for someone. It’s better if it’s me.” She tried to smile but her lips trembled with the effort and tears threatened to fall once more.

Oliver reached across the table and grabbed Ruby’s hand, “Don’t start that now,” his words were gentle despite his admonishment. It wasn’t the coddling he’d showered her with once they began their affair. He'd been almost doting in his distant, gruff way when they were lovers. But that small point of contact almost made up for the cold shoulder Ruby received when she revealed her pregnancy.

And, though she knew better, Ruby allowed him to lace their fingers together. That familiar spark when they touched felt dulled by her anguish. She clung to the comfort anyway.

Ruby had tried to prepare herself for this eventuality. She'd expected the tears, the heartbreak, and the mess their lives would become once it ended. She hadn’t anticipated the pregnancy. Though Ruby had always wanted to be a mother, her career and lifestyle weren’t conducive to running a family. 

As Oliver’s Girl Friday/pastry chef she’d traveled the world for their craft. They never stayed in one place, or one restaurant, longer than six months to a year. On a normal day, Ruby's on her feet from four in the morning till the wee hours of the night. If she tallied it up, Ruby was sure she had spent more time with Oliver than she had in her apartment.

Which was how this pregnancy had come about.

Late nights and stressful situations where you only have that other person to lean on added up. She’d seen things with Oliver that they could never describe to another soul. They had memories and experiences that only the other person had been there for. Their job could get kind of isolating, chefs were a territorial sort. They didn’t like change and they didn’t like anyone encroaching on their space.

It very quickly became Oliver and Ruby against the rest of the world. Ruby didn’t know when she’d fallen for Oliver. Didn't know if she'd fallen all at once or if affection and trust gradually grew into love. No matter how it happened, once she was in it she was _in it_. Without his wife and kids in front of her to feed her guilt, Ruby allowed herself to believe that what they were doing was bigger than all the reasons it was a terrible idea.

Hindsight was twenty/twenty. Whoever invented that saying should be proud.

Ruby pulled her hands out of Oliver’s grasp, her eyes down on the table. Looking at him reminded her she loved him. That she was carrying their child and he wanted nothing to do with it. That she’d brought this all on herself for being so careless, so selfish.

“I think you should go,” Ruby’s already soft voice was so low, it took Oliver a moment to process her words. Once he did, he stiffened in his seat.

“I don’t want this to be the end of us, Ruby. What we’ve got, what we’ve found in each other…” 

Hope stubbornly flared in Ruby’s chest.

“What you and I do in the kitchen is the stuff of legend. You have real talent and I won’t see you throw it all away to play mother.” Oliver continued, much to her disappointment.

“Ah, I see,” Ruby said. The words came out the way one would say, “Look, a bird.”

It was easier to hide her disappointment this time, though she couldn’t hide the stubborn tear forcing its way onto her cheek. Ruby didn’t understand why she set herself up to be hurt all the time. She should have known better than to hope that Oliver could have changed his mind because of his love for her. 

But that was Ruby’s curse, she always had a little more hope left in her. A little more forgiveness, a little more trust, a little more love.

“Oliver,” Ruby cleared her throat, though the lump in her throat refused to budge. “I understand that right now you’re thinking of the business side of things, but could you understand how I’m feeling? I’m not thinking of my career at a time like this.”

Her heart was in her throat, and her eyes still prickled with the threat of tears. More than anything Ruby wanted to be alone. Oliver had been more than clear about how he felt about the baby and her decision to keep it. Their relationship, if you could call it that, was over. All she wanted to do now was start the process of moving on from her first love.

Oliver signed and nodded. They settled back in the booth and a waiter appeared with the bill a second later. He paid, and for once Ruby didn’t contest the act. She’d barely been able to stomach her salad, her stomach in knots ever since Oliver had called her after a week of radio silence.

After sliding his card in the billfold and handing it back to the waiter, Oliver fixed Ruby with a stern look. It was a look she’d seen him give incompetent line cooks and his children and she did not enjoy having it fixed on her. She already felt split open and exposed. Could he not leave her be?

“You know I only push you because I care,” 

Ruby stared at her hands in her lap and said nothing.

“You’re still young, you have a lot of talent. A lot of good years left in you.” Oliver paused when the waiter returned with his card. As he placed it back in his wallet he said, “Once all this is over you’ll always have a place with me.”

Rage consumed Ruby so suddenly she was paralyzed. All this? All _this_? _All this?_ _This_ was a baby! A fetus! That _they_ created together. Ruby clenched her fists and swallowed past the fire in her throat. Anger had never solved anything, she knew that. But man did she want to let her anger take over at that moment. It had always been hard for Ruby to express anger, but this feeling of bone-deep fury was so new. Who knew what she would do?

With some effort, Ruby managed to swallow her rage and fix Oliver with a distant smile. An old defense mechanism she'd never grown out of. Gently she said, “I don’t know about that.”

Oliver didn’t linger any longer after that. He rose to his feet and looked as if he would wait for her to go with him. Ruby settled further in the booth and picked up the dessert menu.

He got the hint. With a final, parting touch to her shoulder, Oliver left.

Being alone didn't make Ruby feel any better but it was easier to deal with how she felt without Oliver sitting in front of her. She supposed other women would have caused more of a fuss. She knew for a fact her twin sister would have been carted out of here in handcuffs, but that wasn't Ruby's way.

Maybe it was her upbringing, being orphaned at ten years old hadn't helped. Her grandparents, Reginald and Roberta, had done the best they could but experiencing death that young could change you. If she had to put words to it Ruby would say Ruth wanted to be the angry one so Ruby let her. But that felt like an insult against her sister.

As far as Ruby knew she'd always been a little strange. She hadn't cried much as a baby. From the stories her grandparents told, she'd been a pretty easy-going child. Preferring to sit quietly with whatever she had to entertain herself. 

In high school, Ruby didn't date often. When she did it was usually long relationships that started as friendships and then fizzled out back into friendships. Ruby didn't hold grudges. She accepted life as it came to her because she knew that you couldn't choose what happened to you. But you could choose how you reacted.

Oliver let her know explicitly through his actions, that he was not on board with their baby. Ruby had known from their first kiss that their's was a doomed romance. Still, she couldn't stop herself from falling for him. She shouldn't be mad, had no right to be angry at _him_ for choosing his family and career. Ruth had warned her this would happen.

Though Ruby doubted she'd suspected a baby being the reason it all fell apart.

And what right did she have to hurt this way? Oliver wasn't hers, he'd never made her any promises. Ruby had never asked for more of him than he could give. She shouldn't be mad, but she could be hurt. And at that moment, Ruby was hurting a lot.

The waiter returned and placed a small porcelain plate on the table before her. Politely, they didn't mention or stare at the tears still staining Ruby's cheeks. A shiny shell of chocolate-covered chocolate mousse and chocolate sponge cake. At its center was a molten strawberry compote that should ooze onto her plate when Ruby cut into it.

She'd come up with the recipe herself and loaned it to Mikey, the pastry chef for the _Fruit Pit_ menu. Any time Ruby visited she ordered it. The dessert was one of the many things that put an instant smile on her face.

The cake's effect on Ruby was dimmed by the aftermath of her meeting with Oliver. The sight of it did raise her spirits and though she hadn't ordered it, the little cake brought a small smile to her lips. Unlike most people, she wasn't concerned that she hadn't ordered it (Ruby didn't look a gift cake in the mouth alright). Still, she suspected that's what a normal person would ask.

"I'm sorry but I didn't order this," even as she said it Ruby unwrapped her untouched silverware and placed her napkin in her lap. 

"The uhm.. gentleman in the booth behind you had it sent over and paid for." The waiter looked nervous, but Ruby wasn't socially aware enough to ask why. Her mind was on the cake.

"Oh," Ruby breathed. Her fork pierced the chocolate shell with a delightful crack. Further pressure sliced through mousse and sponge alike to the still warm strawberry compote center.

Just as she'd designed, the compote oozed out and spread across the plate. She scooped as much of it as she could on her fork, catching a little sponge, mouse, and shell as she did. With careful swipes, she created the perfect first bite.

"I'm sorry but I have to ask, are you Chef Ruby Brown?"

The forkful of sweet emotion soothing dessert paused at Ruby's lips. The aroma of chocolate and sharp berry-filled her nose but her eyes were on the waiter.

"Yes," the words came out too bland to be any real confirmation. As long as she'd worked with Oliver, Ruby had never gotten used to people on the street recognizing her.

The waiter brightened and their customer service smile became more real, "I knew it! Oh man, I'm sorry to bother you but I _love_ your show. Me and my girlfriend watch you and Chef Farley all the time!"

The waiter bounced in excitement. Ruby could only muster a small facsimile of the smile she was known for on _Get Out The Kitchen_. She was the serene one in the kitchen. |Attacking complicated bakes with the calm of someone who knew what she was doing and trusted that everything would work out in the end. Oliver was the loud angry one.

Their roles were simple but America loved their dynamic.

"Could I maybe get a picture with you? I know this is super weird but I know if I don't ask I'll always regret it…" the waiter rambled on but Ruby tuned out.

She didn't feel up to a photo. Her married lover and her boss had dumped and fired her in one meeting. At most, Ruby wanted to call her sister and hide in her barely used bed. And she didn't even want to make the phone call.

But she knew what would happen if she declined. The fan would get embarrassed and that could lead to problems. And Ruby hated confrontation. 

Ruby nodded mutely and scooted out the booth. The waiter practically danced as they pulled out their phone and the camera app.

"Say _'You fucking idiot'_ ," the waiter sang between his teeth as he smiled.

Ruby didn't say it. She didn't think she could ever hear Oliver's catchphrase again without thinking if the situation she'd placed herself in. She did smile, though it was weak and didn't reach her sad eyes.

The waiter left Ruby to her cake after that. After silently thanking the person who'd bought it for her Ruby dug in. The chocolate on chocolate on chocolate could be a little much for people who didn't grow up drinking Kool-Aid and pecan pie. That's why Ruby added the strawberries cut through the richness so it was more pleasant to eat.

Her first bite tasted so good she closed her eyes and sank back into the plush seat of the booth. It wasn't the same as having the father of her child around but it filled the minute cracks in Ruby's heart.


	3. 14 Weeks

"Erik,” a voice whispered, way too fucking close to him.

Erik feigned sleep and tried to flop onto his side and gain some distance. He’d bought a California King so this right here, wouldn't happen. His guest ( Charity maybe? Something with an -ity in it) didn’t get the hint and followed him across the mattress.

With a groan, Erik resigned himself to the barnacle and tried to go back to sleep. It was his one-off day of the week, and the one day he allowed himself to linger in bed. Purity or whatever wasn’t gonna ruin this for him.

Erik’s unwanted guest seemed satisfied with their closeness for five minutes. Erik nearly slips back into a deep sleep. Until Amity began kissing the scars on his back. 

Scars he’d earned during a different time in his life. A time he wasn’t ashamed of but had worked tirelessly to move away from. Erik couldn’t pretend to be asleep anymore. With a rough jerk of his shoulder, Erik dislodged his barnacle. He then jerked himself into a sitting position.

“You gotta go,” his voice comes out low and hoarse. Filled with enough lingering sleep to hide how annoyed he is already. His back is to her so she can’t see the scowl he leverages at his clock once he opens his eyes.

 _Seven fifteen, fuck_. 

“Oh,” the bed shifts behind him. 

Erik senses her nearing and managed to rise to his feet as she reached out to touch his shoulder. Erik snatched a pair of sweats off the ground and slid them on. Without breaking his stride towards the wall of floor to ceiling windows, he pulled on the tie to his durag. 

“You have something to do today?” the sound of her shifting around on the bed followed him across the room.

“Nah,” Erik picks up the remote off the top of his nearby dresser, “I’m ready to be alone.” He presses a few buttons and the curtains rise, casting the room in bright light.

His guest hisses, “Fuck! Could you not?”

“Nah,” Erik tosses the remote back onto the dresser. He lingered in front of his windows until his entire body was bathed in the cool, early morning sun. If he was gonna be up he might as well wake the fuck up. 

Erik decided he’d go to the gym today, might as well since he was up so early. Later on, he'd text a few of the men he didn’t mind spending an hour with for impromptu poker night. It's been about two weeks since he last kicked their asses. Erik didn’t like putting much planning into his off days. 

But the broad still taking up space in his bed was a testament to how low Erik could stoop when left to his own devices.

Erik hadn’t intended on having a sleepover. He preferred if the people he brought into his space served their purpose and left. That’s what his poker niggas did, that’s what every other chick in Erik’s phone did. That’s how he’d structured his life. Yet this woman had apparently thought herself above the status quo.

Erik’s shoulder twitched as violence crossed his mind. He wasn’t even angry, more annoyed. Or better yet, irritated as fuck that she’d woken him up on his one sleep-in day. He’d been using tonight’s visit to fill a role he found himself itching for from time to time. The itch didn’t strike him often.

Erik found that unlike most of the fucking world, he couldn’t tolerate having someone in his face all the time.

The city outside his window was still. Los Angeles was a late start city. There was nothing decent to eat until 9 or 10 a.m. Unless you liked what passed for breakfast at the twenty-four-hour places. Otherwise, the city was a ghost town. Empty streets would fill, if only for a moment, then empty just as quickly. 

For all of two hours. Then the assholes that made LA unbearable showed their asses in the streets.

Erik had noticed the pattern early on when he’d moved back to California. It was something he could set his watch to. Watching as the city he knew moved like clockwork soothed the nerve Integrity (maybe?) had irked by waking him up.

“So did you wanna get breakfast with me?” Serenity (he was sure this time) spoke up from underneath his bed. She made a noise once she retrieved whatever she’d been looking for.

Then she continued as if none of that had even happened, “I know this bomb ass brunch spot a few blocks from here. I’ve been dying to take you there but-”

“Nah I’m good.” Erik cut her off right then and there. She’d already woken him up, no way was she going to rope him into another three hours at least with her.

“You got your stuff?” Erik spotted his hoodie crumpled behind the door, scooped it up, and pulled it over his head in one fluid movement. Serenity made a noise he took for ‘yes’.

“Lemme walk you to the door,” Erik didn’t leave her much choice. She scooped up what remained of her things and clumsily rose from her knees to her feet.

With a grip on her arm, he had to consciously slacken, Erik tugged Serenity through his apartment to his front door. He paused long enough for her to get her shoes on. Erik even backed up and let go of her arm. He didn’t care about Serenity’s feelings, couldn’t remember her name most evenings.

But women had a habit of wanting to stay and talk things out if they felt like he was trying to kick them out. Erik wouldn’t lie if they asked: he definitely wanted them the fuck out of his crib. At the same time, he’d rather not deal with that headache if he didn’t have to.

“Okay then,” Serenity tried to linger after putting on her shoes. But Erik already had the door open and a polite, fake smile on his face.

“If you’re gonna call a Lyft go down the block a bit, The neighbors don’t like when they block the street.”

The woman blinked, surprised at the topic change. Erik preyed on her lapse in focus to push her lower back just enough to get her on the other side of his door completely.

_Fucking finally!_

Erik sees the moment Serenity realizes what he’s done. It’s the way her brow furrows and her lips purse in both hurt and confusion. Erik doesn’t wait for her to figure it out and he doesn’t care about the hurt expression on her face. Her bad. Erik couldn't care less about how she felt on that side of his door. Chucking up the deuces, Erik slammed the door shut.

* * *

Erik sprinted up the stairs after his two-hour session in the gym. He’d had to cut his planned jog around the building short. A moving truck pulled up and blocked the sidewalk in front of the entrance. That seemed like as good a signal as any that he should cut his workout short.

He took the steps two at a time. His mind on breakfast and Jabari wood sculptors who chose to remain frustratingly anonymous. Ahead of him, two men struggled to twist a wide, wooden frame around the bend in the stairs. Erik quickly assessed the situation.

The frame didn't seem heavy, but it was stiff and hard to maneuver. They needed someone else to take on some weight to lift it in the gap between the floors. Erik figured he might as well help them if he wanted to get to his apartment.

It'd kill thirty minutes tops and he could count it towards his work out.

Erik offered his services to the movers. They eyed him skeptically but moved to allow him to take some of the weight. One of the movers was a bald, red-faced white guy with sunglasses that looked embedded into the fat on the side of his head. He let Erik take his part of the frame and raced ahead to the next floor. From there Erik and the other mover raised the frame until it could lean on the banister of the next level. 

They shifted the weight of the frame between them and lifted it floor by floor. All the way to the fifth floor. did this until they got to Erik’s level on the fifth floor. Both men thanked him for his time and went about their business. Erik accepted their thanks with a muted nod and waited until the left to walk to his apartment.

He shrugged and stretched his shoulder before as he let himself into his apartment. An old injury that had healed years ago ached after all the lifting and pulling of whatever the hell that fucking frame was.

The sounds of moving continued through Erik’s breakfast. When he went to his office to sort through a few work emails (cause what’s a day off without a little work?) he could hear the heavy thudding of furniture being carried up the stairwell and into the hallway separating the two apartments. 

Erik even smoked a blunt and took a nap, the moving continued now accompanied by a female voice. The sounds didn't stop once he finally settled down in front of his huge, flat screen tv to watch ESPN reruns.

* * *

"...and tell that motherfucker Ruth wants to talk to him. And if he doesn’t come to me I’ll be on the next fucking flight. Because if that booty chinned motherfucker thinks he can do this to you-"

"Ruth, please!"

"Oh please! I don’t want to go away for premeditated murder. It’d be much easier gutting the Irish fucker like a fish if I don’t broadcast my plans to the entire building." The other woman spoke dismissively. “He Who Shall Not Be Named deserves a fucking kick in the ass.”

This caused the other voice, softer in comparison to the harsh quick chatter of the first woman, to giggle and say, “Now he’s Voldemort?”

“He might as fucking well be! And you can call me Harry Fucking Potter cause I’m gonna shove a sharpening rod so far up his luck of the Irish flat ass he’ll beg me to castrate him to-”

“Jesus, Ruth your mouth!”

Erik reflexively crossed his legs. Then he lowered the volume on his tv. He had hours to kill until Bradford and his boys came over for their game. Erik had considered making a beer run or whipping up some snacks just to fill the silence but he couldn’t make up his mind either way about it. 

Time he had an abundance of. But balked at the idea of cooking for a bunch of grown men. They could feed themselves. He was being nice enough letting them into his apartment.

This was why Erik only allowed himself one day off. He ended up calling bitches in his phone and cooking for grown-ass men who barely had the decency to clean up after themselves.

Now he's listening in on his new neighbors. 

Erik made it a point to never meet his neighbors if he could help it. And from the sounds of the drama going on outside his door, Erik knew nothing good would come of learning anything about them.

He should be cooking. Make enough noise to drown out whatever ratchetness the new owner of apartment 5E would bring to the hallway. It was only four-thirty but a quick run to the store would get him out the house and fill in the gaps in his liquor fridge. Plus he didn't like any of those niggas beyond their ability to give Erik their money while he whooped their ass at cards. 

They didn't deserve his good shit.

* * *

Erik took his time getting ready to go out. Mostly to waste as much time as possible so he couldn’t run into the new neighbors. His neighbor (or neighbors cause there seemed to be two voices) were still bringing things up and talking hella loud. As if there wasn’t anyone else on this floor but the two of them.

Just what Erik needed in his life: Noisy, neighbors.

The movers had unloaded and left during Erik’s shower after his nap. Yet his neighbor’s door remained open. And what Erik could only discern as noise filled the hallway between their apartments. Music, off-key singing, and the sound of banging pots and pans had Erik stuck in front of his door, keys, and wallet in one clenched fist.

He wasn't usually such bitch. Erik was a fucking Navy Seal. He's 31 years old! Erik was all these things and he was still annoyed. He hadn't planned his day around meeting his neighbor. Erik usually got in a bit of recon before showing his face.

Erik eyed the clock on his phone, he still had time for a jog to the store. He’d get the ingredients for simple hot wings. Stop by the liquor store on the corner for something cheap to drink.

He weighed his willingness to spend _more_ money on these men than he wanted to. Skip the meet and greet and just order in. Or grit his teeth through a five-minute introduction with someone blasting Toto's Africa. 

Death was beginning to look like the only viable option when his ears began ringing.

Erik had missed the music cutting off abruptly. But he heard the moment his neighbor (finally) shut their door. The jarring silence after so much noise had Erik leaning into the door to confirm that he hadn't gone deaf.

All it took was a cheery knock right against the wood Erik had leaned his ear against, to confirm he hadn't gone deaf. Yet the knock startled him so much he gripped the door handle and yanked it open mid-knock.

His neighbor, a tall but petite, dark-skinned woman, jerked back in surprise. Her hands flew protectively to a small bump he could see through the gaps in her overalls. He immediately felt like a dick.

Erik couldn't imagine what she must think of him. How the fuck could he explain why he’d opened the door that fast? He for damn sure didn’t know why he’d spent the last five...ten, or fifteen minutes listening to her bring the formerly abandoned 5E to life in a matter of hours.

So he _smoothly_ grunted, “What do you want?”

Despite his tone, the pretty (yeah he’d noticed, fucking sue him) woman didn't flinch back or look offended. If anything her expression brightened. She extended one slender hand toward him, the other still cupping her tiny bump. A cheery smile on her lifted her cheeks and her dark brown eyes glowed.

Erik felt suddenly very stupid and very thuggish when she shone that bright smile on him. Leaning into the feeling, he used his bulk to force her to back away from the door. As he turned to lock his door behind him, she began speaking in a soft almost dreamy voice.

"I just moved in across the hall and my sister wouldn't let me rest until I knew who you were. I tried to tell her that no one would let a serial killer live in this building. 'Cause they'd fail all the background checks. But then _she_ said that Patrick Bateman had a nice apartment. But I told her that didn't really apply in this situation because he lived in New York-"

"Who are you?" Erik turned and raised a hand, stopping her mid-ramble.

“Oh, of course, I’m Ruby.” She placed the hand she'd extended on her belly. Not even mentioning his dismissal of it.

Recognition dawned. Followed by mortification. Followed by Erik’s eyes shamelessly dropping to her small belly. 

It was her, the Ruby from the _Fruit Pit_. Erik had been there as she was both dumped and fired. And then, for some fucking reason, he bought her an overpriced chocolate thing off the menu. He didn’t know what had driven him to do it. Erik wasn't a nice man by nature. But that helpless angry feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away until he did _something_. 

In retrospect, the cake had seemed like a pretty shitty and inadequate gesture. He’d left before finding out if she’d appreciated it or not. For all Erik knew, she’d sent it back or thrown it away. He would have.

He doesn’t know what to say to her. Erik can’t decide if he even wants to know her after knowing so much _about_ her. Ruby’s life was a mess. There were complications in her life that Erik wanted nothing to do with. Starting with that baby and extending who knew how far. 

Erik’s life didn’t need any complications.

“I’m Erik. And now I’m leaving.” Erik again used his bulk to get Ruby to back up. Then he felt stupid when she casually stepped out of his way and waved farewell. It was like trying to intimidate a puppy.

“It was nice meeting you,” Ruby called after him, killing Erik’s attempt at having the last word.

 _Fuck_!


	4. 14 Weeks and Moving In

"That nigga did not-!"

"Ruth, please!" Ruby turned back to see her twin leaning out of her doorway with a look on her face that just screamed trouble.

It was a look that Ruby had let lead her astray on more than one occasion. A look that's led to them getting stranded in unfamiliar cities or pulled into fights. Ruth was scrappy and could handle her own, but Ruby was too pregnant to wrangle her sister these days. The last time she’d involved herself in one of Ruth’s altercations she got smacked in the face. 

Then they’d all spent a night in holding once the police showed up.

Ruby didn't fault her sister for her instincts. Ruth showed her love by loving fiercely. They only had each other after Pawpaw passed two years ago. Losing their parents at a young age had bonded them in a way that only death could. But losing Pawpaw had made them grow up. Their childhood, what little he tried to provide for two grieving little girls, was over.

And now Ruby was carrying the newest little Brown. Ruth felt more protective than ever.

Oliver’s sudden absence in her life had given Ruth a shorter fuse than usual. Her sister would never admit it but Ruby was sure her sister felt betrayed by his actions. She didn’t warm to people often. Ruth hadn’t known about their affair but she’d considered Oliver an honorary Brown.

Ruby’s sudden pregnancy and Oliver’s new show without her had Ruth quicker to pick a fight than ever. With Ruby, with Oliver, with Ruby’s poor new neighbor Erik. Ruth wanted to fight because of Ruby’s circumstances. 

Meanwhile, Ruby wished Ruth would let her handle her situation the way she thought best. 

"He had somewhere to go," Ruby crossed the distance between her apartment and Erik's. She met Ruth's disbelieving glare with an even stare as she nudged her inside. 

"Okay but the nigga treated you like you were trying to sell his bitch ass something. You were fucking polite." Ruth's mouth pinched with anger. Together they entered Ruby’s apartment and shut the door behind them. 

Ruby smiled and she nudged her twin again, "Well you can't yell at him now he's not here," 

Ruth allowed Ruby to lead her into the living room but her expression remained sour."

"He better keep that fucking energy. I don't want to see him near you or Miracle Baby," then her tone softened. "Speaking of MB, how are you feeling? Any more morning sickness?"

Ruby padded carefully around stacks of boxes and plastic-wrapped furniture. Her focus on the stack of boxes marked: LIBRARY. She picked one at random and tried to pick up a box, then stopped. The box wasn't heavy by her standards but Ruby wasn't sure if it was okay for her to lift it. She was still on the smaller end of her pregnancy but Ruby was paranoid about hurting herself.

A crazy turn around for a woman who scorched her palm on a hot pan and kept working through a 16-hour shift.

"That faded away a few days ago but who knows? It could come back. So far I've felt this need to get stuff done." Ruby gave up trying to pick up the box and let it fall to the floor. 

The box felt on its side. Allowing for easy sliding on the hardwood floors. Using her feet, Ruby kick-pushed the box across the floor. It took careful maneuvering but she got it to the built-in bookshelf near the fireplace.

Ruth came into view, hands on her hips and a calculating gaze on Ruby. Ruby ignored her sister. She knew this game. Ruth would stare and huff and puff. Then when Ruby didn’t buckle under her “subtle” attempts at prompting her to speak, Ruth would snap. Then she'd say how she _really_ felt.

Ruby always thought her sister’s strength was her directness. And as a consequence, Ruby’s strength was her indirectness. While Ruth fumed for an opportunity to speak her mind, Ruby settled on the floor with her box of books. Without acknowledging Ruth and her stare at all Ruby filled the shelves.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Miracle Baby is gonna be crawling around here soon enough. I don't wanna hear you crying over them gnawing at your books." Ruth spoke grudgingly. Still looking for a fight.

Ruby’s head tilted in thought, "I suppose you’re right."

Silence reigned between the two women. Ruth was still fuming, waiting for her opening. But Ruby only placidly rose to her feet and began kick-pushing the box back towards the pile of books.

One of the benefits of this new, bigger apartment, was the library Ruby planned on building next to the baby’s room. Growing up it was all she’d ever wanted. The desire had to take a back seat during her poor culinary school and line cook years.

Luckily her years with Oliver had given Ruby more than enough money. She could afford this expensive ass apartment in Downtown LA and take care of her baby all on her own.

At some point, she’d have to think of what she’d do after the baby was born. She may have always wanted to be a mother but Ruby loved baking too much to leave it behind forever. 

She couldn’t go back to Oliver though. Whatever the future held for her and MB he couldn’t be apart of it.

Ruby slipped from her thoughts and back to reality just in time to see Ruth reach her breaking point. Her foot was tapping and her eyebrows were raised in what Ruby calls her "Really, bitch?" expression.

Ruby, by comparison, looked way more relaxed. Her face was serene and glowing. So she decides to be the one to break the silence between them. Whatever Ruth decided to say would have been unkind and probably truer than Ruby was ready to admit.

"Do you want to help me find a place for these?" Ruby kicked at a box of books.

Ruth relaxed but said nothing other than, "Well, only if I have to."

The Brown sisters work in silence tackling the kitchen first. It's easily the second most important room in the house in Ruby's eyes. Once that's done they set up furniture in the bedroom but don't do much after assembling the bed. The bathroom and the living room come together last. By the time they drag themselves back to the front of the house, Ruth's attitude seems to have calmed. Ruby once again dodged any questioning by forcing her to move the furniture around.

They moved the frame to Ruby’s soon-to-be constructed oonjal and set it to lean against the far wall to be set up alter. Well, Ruth moved it. The frame was solid wood carved from one tree and heavy as all hell. Ruby loved the thing but she didn’t want her baby bump anywhere near it.

“Okay,” Ruth huffed once she’d dumped the weight of the oonjal frame against the wall, “What the fuck is that thing?”

“It’s my pregnancy swing,” Ruby caressed the smooth, dark wood of the oonjal.

“I thought babies got the swings?” Ruth eyed the oonjal suspiciously.

Ruby patted the swing as if soothing hurt feelings, “Padma Lakshmi had one during her pregnancy. She said it relaxed her during the labor process.”

Ruth’s eyes brightened, “Was that when you guest-starred on Top Chef?”

Ruby’s cheeks heated and she stepped away from the oonjal. She gathered discarded plastic and cardboard in a rush of noise. Cutting off any chance of her replying.

Ruth stayed hot on her heels when Ruby moved to dump the mess into a large garbage bag by the door. She waited with the patience she brought out so rarely. Then pounced as soon as Ruby had settled the bag back in place.

“Is she as fine in person as she is on tv?” Ruth bit her bottom lip, whether from lust or fan based excitement Ruby wasn’t sure.

She tried pushing past her again but Ruth decided to step in her way.

Sighing Ruby said, “She’s a model, host, philanthropist and-”

“Oh cut the crap Ruby tell me how she looked!” Ruth whined the end of her sentence. 

Ruby used her sister's pouting to step around her and back into the living room. It still had that empty, unfamiliar feeling new places alway had until you settled in. Yet the furniture was in place. It was late enough that Ruth would likely stay over. They could share a bed and watch movies and eat too many cookies the way they used to.

“That’s what this place needs!” Ruby snapped her fingers and sped off to the kitchen. Ruth, who’d still been lamenting the fact that Ruby wouldn’t supply her the details about Padma’s beauty and personality, cut off mid-sentence when Ruby suddenly spirited away.

There wasn’t much order in the kitchen at the moment but Ruby moved around the remaining boxes and a practically empty fridge with ease. She didn’t have any milk or eggs but she had a bit of oil, cocoa powder, and flour. It wouldn’t make cookies but they’d be fucking delicious dairy-free brownies.

“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about you feeling uncomfortable here,” Ruth spoke dryly. She followed Ruby’s path across the room at a much more sedate pace. 

Ruth hummed without comment, finding a bowl for her dry ingredients. She decided on a dutch oven that worked as well as a bowl for all her wet ingredients. Before she mixed anything, Ruby preheated her royal blue Lacanche range (because Oliver had made her a snob) skipped out of the kitchen.

Ruby skipped into the living room. Then she continued skipping around the room until she found the box that had her speaker in it. The Wifi would get set up tomorrow so until then Ruby connected the speaker to the Bluetooth on her phone and queued up a playlist.

As the first strains of _High Time_ by Kacey Musgraves filled the still kind of empty room, Ruth groaned.

"Not this country shit again!" Ruby danced by Ruth (who stuck her finger in her ears and made a dramatic face) on her way back to the kitchen. It wasn't long before Ruth stopped playing around sang along loudly with Kacey as Ruth started her bake.

“Are pregnant women supposed to be this bouncy? Maybe you should sit down somewhere before you shake something loose.”

Ruby laughed at Ruth’s fake twang as she sang and said, “Apparently a little extra energy is normal. All the books say this is the best part of the pregnancy.”

Ruth was silent after she spoke. Ruby chanced a peek at her before carefully folding her liquids into her flour-cocoa mix, “I was thinking of picking up yoga again now that I have space. I read that it would help with labor. I thought of signing up for a class but I don’t know if I trust some of the studios around here- Did you know,”

Ruby cut herself off mid-sentence to stop mixing. Forgetting herself she shot Ruth a look of genuine disbelief, “The hospital has a baby class package with the birth suite. Oliver and Moira used the same hospital for all their pregnancies. Yet never took advantage of the class until the twins were born.”

Satisfied with the consistency of her batter, Ruby spun away from the counter and checked the oven. 

“And think, you’ll get to have the same baby class as your baby daddy and his baby mama!” Ruth chirped back, a fake l twang in her voice.

Ruby pressed her lips together and turned back to Ruth, “I didn’t say I was going to take their birthing package. I don’t even know if I want to have my baby in a hospital.”

Ruth’s nose wrinkled at that, and fire lit in her dark brown eyes. Ruby crossed the room, snatched up the spoon she’d used to mix her batter and held it in the air.

“Wanna lick the spoon?” she smiled sweetly at her sister as she held it toward her.

Ruby knew Ruth didn’t like the idea of her doing anything alternative or experimental with _her_ niece or nephew. She knew it and she didn’t feel like defending her choices. Ruby technically hadn’t decided one way or another. But she couldn’t ignore the statistical probability of her going into that hospital and only her baby making it out. This baby may not have its father but Ruby wouldn’t rob them of their mother if she could help it.

Ruth took the spoon, but she snatched it to show that she was only doing it for Ruby. It sent batter flying all over her new countertops but she didn’t bat an eye. Just scooped up little bits of batter with her finger and licked it clean. The chocolate might as well have been ash on her tongue.

She didn’t let the bland taste show on her face, Ruby knew better than that. Ruth preoccupied herself with licking the spoon clean while they waited for the timer to ring. She stuck her fingers into the bowl and scraped the sides. Catching residual batter that hadn’t settled.

That at least let Ruby know her batter was good.

She didn’t know why, but for the last month, nothing sweet has tasted good to Ruby. Even pan dulce or Hawaiin Rolls tasted kind of bland on her palate. When she’d first noticed it Ruby had thought it ironic that the thing Oliver took the most pride in helping her develop was impeded by yet another thing he’d help her develop. But maybe Ruby’s humor was dark that way.

“Are we going to talk about this because I’m tired of holding my tongue,” Ruth spoke up once there was no more batter to distract her with. Ruby was mid-push, the brownie tin already clanging against the metal grate in the oven.

Ruby pushed the brownie tin all the way in and shut the oven.

“You know I’d never stop you from telling me anything,” Ruby hedged.

To avoid Ruth’s piercing gaze she began gathering the dirty dishes and rinsing them out in the sink. Then she placed each dish into the dishwasher.

“There you go with those nonanswers again,” Ruth stood abruptly and stalked into the kitchen. In seconds she was right at Ruby’s back. “Why didn’t you tell me about you two? Why did you lie to me? What else did you lie about?”

Ruby shut the dishwasher and turned to meet Ruth’s hard gaze with a much softer one of her own, “Which question would you like me to answer first? Or would you rather I answered them in order of how loud you said the question?”

Ruth threw her hands up with a groan and stalked away, “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this! Call me when the brownies are done I’m gonna go organize your closet.”

Ruby smiled after her sister, “Thank you for helping me move!”

Ruth gave her the bird over her shoulder and continued walking out of sight down the hallway.


	5. 14 Weeks and Making Friends

Light, laughter, and the loud sounds of niggas lying through their teeth for clout filled Erik’s apartment. He was in the kitchen, tossing chicken wings in bowls of melted butter and lemon pepper sauce. He had a sticky, spicy mess in a pot on the stove waiting for similar treatment.

It was as lively as his apartment ever got, and though he brought it on himself Erik couldn’t help but wish he was alone. He liked how full his apartment felt. He’d attempted to recreate this feeling on his own sans guests, but it hadn’t been the same. There was something different about a room with another human being in it. A certain fullness that reminded Erik of those early years before his mom went to jail and his father died.

“Yo! We’re all set up in there. You need me to bring anything in,” Bradford called over the noise as he entered the kitchen. He placed discarded beers in recycling. Further cemented himself in Erik's head as a tolerable person. 

He was the ringleader of the group of four niggas crowded around Erik’s dining table. They were in the same fraternity or black law firm or black medical practice. Erik wasn’t sure and he never asked. The last thing he wanted was them telling him. 

Bradford and Erik met up for a few basketball games at his gym for years. They never talked beyond sharing names and call outs during the game. After they matched up in COD and dominated Search and Destroy together Erik put him in his contacts. It was as close to friendship as Erik got, and he'd never even met the man's wife.

On his own, Erik didn’t mind Bradford. The man had a wife, a career, and didn’t contact Erik at all hours of the day. So he more or less respected him. His friends were another story altogether.

“My nigga she hit the floor and was _still_ twerking on them muthafuckas!” Erik's eyes drifted towards the dining table. The high pitched sound of Kenneth's voice grated on Erik's nerves. As Bradford's cousin, he was only there to fill the table.

In other words, if Erik had just one more name in his phone his annoying ass wouldn't be here.

He had his phone out. Erik couldn't see much, but he knew Kenneth was showing Noel, Sean, and Daniel a video. Most likely of the stripper who'd broken her jaw after falling off the pole. Erik’s lip curled in disgust, but he hid it behind a sip of his beer. 

He had a bottle of the good shit stashed in his liquor fridge on the island. The cheap shit was in the main fridge for his guests. It was looking like Kenneth was cut off though. He didn't even deserve the cheap shit.

“Yeah, man hold up.” setting down his beer Erik crossed the kitchen to his fridge. He took out a store-bought veggie plate. He replaced the cheap ranch dressing for this aoli he was fucking around with in his spare time.

The veggie plate he set in Bradfords arms, along with coasters and napkins. For himself, Erik got enough shitty beers for the group and nodded Bradford forward. Together they filled the table and passed out beers. The men were distracted by Kenneth’s video but moved out of the way well enough.

Erik didn’t linger with them. He still had wings to plate.

“Whatchu tryna play first?” Erik heard at his back.

That was Sean. He was the only one of them in the group that owned a casino set of cards. He went to Las Vegas at least once a month and Erik believed he had the beginnings of a gambling addiction. But that's none of his business.

“I don’t care, don’t deal till I get back.”

“Aww Erik, it’s like you don’t trust us.” This was from Daniel. His dark eyes gleamed with some hidden joke only he understood.

Erik kept his face blank and said, “If that’s what it seems like,” then continued his trek to the kitchen.

The sound of the doorbell stopped him in his tracks. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he switched direction from the kitchen to the front door.

A look through the peephole revealed Ruby, his new neighbor. Erik cursed under his breath. No way could he pretend he wasn’t home, the volume from his speaker and tv were a dead giveaway. Erik decided he didn’t like her already. He’d already met her once today, was that not enough?

“Yo, E let’s go!” Kenneth’s loud mouth could probably be heard from the lobby. In other words, Ruby could definitely hear him from outside his door. 

Now Erik _had_ to open it.

Erik whipped the door open to make up for how long he’d taken to answer but he needn’t have bothered. If Ruby knew that Erik had hesitated before answering the door she didn’t show it. She beamed at him with a smile that was too breathtaking for words.

She smiled so easily that Erik frowned harder. He managed to go from a confused neighbor to an annoyed asshole with one scowl. But his expression didn’t affect Ruby at all.

“Hiya! I know we met already but I made these brownies and my sister couldn’t possibly finish them herself so I thought I’d offer you some. If I leave them at my house she’ll try to eat them all cause she has no impulse control. Of course, then she’ll turn around and be mad at me for letting her eat so much and I don’t want to deal with that. Do you get me?

Ruby paused. It was so brief Erik couldn’t believe it existed. During that second long pause, she gestured down at the ceramic plate. She had it pressed in the minuscule dip between her breasts and her small bump. It was a rusty pink and cat-shaped. Erik blinked at it and refocused on Ruby’s face.

“I don’t know if you have any food intolerances but these are dairy and egg-free so-”

“You brought me brownies.” Erik deadpanned. 

He knew better than to interrupt a woman while she was speaking but he may never get a word in with Ruby around. Erik didn’t have an ear for her speech pattern at all. He always felt three seconds behind. As soon as he feels as if he’s caught up she’s shifted again. And all while speaking in the sweetest tone of voice he’d ever heard.

Ruby nodded, beaming all the while. Sometimes she smiled at him, sometimes down at the brownies. The brightness of her smile never dimmed regardless. Erik had never known someone to smile so much. He wanted to distrust it, but the sincerity in her eyes made it hard.

“I’m a bit of a baker but I sometimes make more than I can eat so I like to share them.”

Before she could continue Erik blurted out, “Why not sell them.”

Ruby paused and tilted her head. Those pretty brown eyes of hers leaving his face to stare into space, “Hmm, that never occurred to me.”

Erik’s face scrunched up in disbelief and disgust. She never thought of selling the shit she made? If she couldn’t reduce the recipe then what’s the point of pawning your desserts on your neighbors?

Erik huffed and readjusted his grip on the door, “Yeah I’m good. I don’t want no brownies.”

Ruby’s eyes refocused on Erik and her eyebrows went up. It was a comically innocent look of surprise.

“Oh of course. I understand," and for some reason, it felt as if she did. She'd no doubt heard the same superstitions as him. As a boy, his father had always told him to never accept free food you hadn't prepared yourself. 

It confused Erik even more that she understood this saying yet offered free treats anyway. While Erik thought over her motivation, Ruby continued.

"I know this may be rude but it sounds like you have people over. Do you mind offering the brownies to them? I promise not to go inside but I gotta unload these brownies.”

Erik blinked for several seconds. Wait, what?

“Why?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

Ruby looked confused, it was yet another ridiculously cute expression, “Why what?”

“Why are you giving these away? Why make them if you’re not going to eat them?”

Ruby shrugged and smiled, “Why do anything? Sometimes life is sour and a little sweetness makes it better.”

Erik had no idea what to say to that. In the face of Ruby’s guileless stare Erik found himself retreating into his apartment and yelling, “Ay, y’all want some brownies?”

The poker niggas swarmed the front door in seconds. Shitty beer in hand and Kenneth’s phone thankfully out of sight.

“Well, who do we have here?” Kenneth leered from his spot at near Erik’s elbow. He thumbs his soul patch and bites his lip at Ruby. Erik rolled his eyes as he shifted out of his apartment to allow them to crowd the door. His hands twitched with the instinctive urge to punch him in the chest.

“Hi, all,” Ruby says sweetly. 

The men respond like fools, and it takes everything in Erik not to speak up and say, “These nigga’s do not represent me. I am not part of their weird little group.” But he was pretty sure the fact that they were in his house, holding his plates piled with food was pretty damning.

Ruby took their interest in stride. Kenneth and his attempts at flirting flew right over her head as far as Erik could see. She held the dish of brownies out like an offering, “I made these and now I have extra my sister and I can’t eat. Do y’all want some?”

She needn’t have bothered asking. As soon as she’d pushed the dish in their direction Sean and Kenneth had their hands on the same brownie. Sean won that battle. But Kenneth snatched up two others nearby by the time Ruby had finished speaking.

“Wow thanks for this,” Bradford spoke up on Erik’s left. He reached under his arm for the dish. “I’m Bradford by the way nice to meet you.”

Ruby’s smile brightened even more if it was possible. It had widened when they’d descended on her dish of brownies like it was their last meal on earth. But when Bradford introduced himself it was like she lit up, “I’m Ruby. I just moved in across the hall.”

The men introduce themselves with mouths either filled or stained with chocolate. Erik finally had enough and shouldered them all back into his apartment. He shut the door with them in the apartment and him in the hallway with Ruby.

Before he could stop himself he said, “You shouldn't encourage them. Now they're gonna expect desserts every time they come over. I don't like them enough for all that."

Ruby giggled, which was unfortunate because Erik hadn't been joking. He waited for her giggling to stop and took the time to study her. Erik put all the things he'd learned from observing her in order in his head but came up with very little. He didn't understand what motivated her or why she responded to things the way she did. It was frustrating.

Erik didn't much care about the beings he shared a planet with. He had a basic understanding that he needed people at various levels to exist. At the same time, he'd rather be on his own if he could help it. People were predictable and, ultimately, disappointing. Ruby so far wasn't any of those things. And Erik didn't understand why it mattered to him at all. 

"I don’t get you," Erik shook his head in wonder, "What are you doing bringing brownies around? What’s your angle?”

Ruby didn’t seem intimidated at all by Erik’s questions or his stare. Her smile did dim as she sensed the shift in Erik's tone, but her face remained pleasantly serene. 

“I get the feeling that you wouldn’t have shared brownies if you had too many.” her dreamy voice had an indulgent teasing quality to it, all mixed up with the sincerity she radiated.

Erik scoffed, “No fucking duh? But that wouldn’t happen because I don’t make brownies and I don’t share.”

 _Shit!_ That wasn’t how he meant for that to come out.

Ruby’s eyebrows went up, “You don’t share? I’m sorry if this is invasive but you wouldn’t happen to be an only child would you?”

Erik’s thoughts ground to a halt as he tried to figure out what that had to do with their conversation. Ruby waited for his brain freeze to stop with a calm yet expectant expression.

“I didn’t mean I don’t share!" Erik snapped louder and more frustrated than he meant to. "I mean I know how to cook enough for one person so-”

“So you’d make one brownie?” Ruby supplied. There wasn’t a trace of humor or teasing in her voice, she was honestly trying to be helpful. Which frustrated Erik even more. Why couldn’t she react the way he expected?

“All I’m saying is: it makes no sense to put yourself out there for people like this. You’re out here sharing brownies and shit but trust me the people around here wouldn’t feed you if you were starving.”

Ruby shook her head, “I disagree. But I can understand your sentiment.”

Erik snapped, “No. Stop that. There’s no sentiment, just facts. You’re born alone and you die alone. All this shit is extra.”

Ruby shrugged, “I wasn't born alone. So I can’t agree with you on that. But I guess you’re right, I will die alone.” She didn’t even sound the tiniest bit upset about this fact. 

Once again she offered up the dish. A single square of brownie remained, “I like to believe that this extra stuff can be fun if we want it to. And it can be a little less lonely if you have someone to share brownies with.”

Erik stared down at the dish. His eyes lifted ever so slightly towards her tiny bump, then again to her face. It really made no sense for her to be so cute and nice and _sincere_.

Without a word, Erik took the brownie.

Ruby smiled and drummed a peppy beat against the bottom of the dish, “You have a good night Erik.”

He watched her cross the hall and disappear into her apartment. Even once she was gone, her door shut and that strange sincere smile of hers out of sight.

Erik lingered in the hall. The brownie in his hand was the perfect mix of moist and crumbly. Chocolate smeared his fingers and when he took his first bite. The rich aroma and velvety sponge filled his mouth with a surreal chocolatey taste.

Erik shoved the whole square into his mouth. It was undoubtedly the best brownie he’d ever had in his life. His mind was tripping over the fact that she hadn’t even used milk or eggs to get them this moist.

The sound of loud ass men roared through the door of Erik’s apartment. Reminding him of the social responsibility he’d trapped himself into. He returned to his apartment with his fingers in his mouth. His thoughts filled with chocolate brown girls and chocolate brownies.


	6. 18 Weeks

Ruby stood in the checkout line eyeing the row of tabloids, snacks, and gift cards with a Red Vine hanging out her mouth.

She’d left her latest ultrasound and the whole time she couldn’t stop thinking about Oliver. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since they’d parted ways officially. Ruby had (in a moment of pure weakness) spent an hour on his social media. Watching him promote the latest season of GOTK and _La Femme_ while rubbing shea butter on her stomach.

She liked a couple too, wouldn’t want anyone catching on to the rift between them after all. It would poke a hole in the story she’d fed the network and her agent.

Nicky, her agent, had finally cornered her three weeks into Ruby’s “vacation” for the full story. They’d wanted to know for sure if Oliver _had_ done something so they could rake either or both over the coals for it. 

Ruby, who still hadn’t told Nicky she was pregnant, got them to back down by saying, “Everything’s fine. I needed some time to myself,” until they dropped it. 

Ruby had bought herself time, but filming for Oliver’s new show had ended. The network was pushing Ruby to make a statement about her departure.

GOTK wasn’t set to premiere the latest season for another two weeks. The network had Nicky ask Ruby to make a statement before the fans or the press could twist the narrative. That was the last thing they needed. She still hadn’t told anyone beyond Ruth and Oliver about her pregnancy.

And now she was big enough that she wouldn’t have to tell anyone. All they’d have to do was take one look at her. 

It wasn't like Ruby was hiding her pregnancy. At 18 weeks her belly had grown from maybe she had a heavy meal to no, yeah she's definitely pregnant. Her belly was so big her hips now jutted out. None of her shirts or bras fit the same. Ruby had more back pain sitting down than she’d ever had after being on her feet in thin-soled shoes for 18 hours.

Whatever statement Ruby made meant revealing to the world who knew of her that she was having a baby. And after months of having her pregnancy to herself, Ruby didn’t feel up to the task.

She’d never known it would be so hard to be open about her pregnancy. Upon joining Oliver’s kitchen Ruby’s life became about food and travel, then food, travel, and filming. Friendships with people outside of all that became hard to maintain. The friends she'd made within the culinary industry she'd met through Oliver. 

For obvious reasons, Ruby hadn’t approached her chef friends about her pregnancy.

So, stuck in her indecision, Ruby did nothing. She didn’t post on social media. Nicky knew to refuse any requests for comments about Oliver. Ruby focused on moving in and arranging her new home to her liking. Decorating her apartment turned into a great passion of her's. 

It wasn't different creatively from composing the perfect plate. But it challenged Ruby differently.

A tabloid with Oliver's chiseled face plastered across the front caught Ruby's eye. Next to him stood his co-star, the woman who's replaced Ruby as Ruby's right hand. She was cute, in a blonde hair blue eyes kind of way. And very petite.

Ruby was slender but she wasn't petite. At five-ten she often stood just below eye level with Oliver. She had strong arms and shoulders from her work in the kitchen. And you needed to be strong to hop between countries and shows as often as they did. The new girl, Sarah Jean Rogers looked so soft and delicate. 

A perfect counterpart to Oliver’s tall, bulky, frame.

Ruby waited for the expected pang of jealousy to hit but she pitied the other woman. A part of her still loved Oliver. Still loved the life they’d experienced together and the way it felt to have all his attention on her. She still felt all those things. But the distance had allowed Ruby to acknowledge the not so great aspect of working with Oliver.

The assistants before her had described him as hellish. She had never seen it that way. Whether it was the love she felt for him or not, Ruby had never taken Oliver’s worst qualities to heart the way others did.

He was rude and crass and could be unbelievably selfish. Yet at the same time, he was unfailingly loyal. An ironic thing for a mistress to say about her married lover but there it was. And he was loving to those who got past his hard exterior.

With one finger, Ruby traced Oliver's chiseled features. 

“Ma’am? Are you ready?”

The sound of the cashier’s voice startled Ruby out of her thoughts. With an embarrassed smile, Ruby pushed her cart forward.

She thought about him as she threw the stuff in her basket onto the conveyor belt. Time had touched the tint of her rose-colored glasses but it hadn’t made Ruby care for him any less. She wondered if he's okay. If he’s watching his stress levels now that she was no longer there to do it for him.

Ruth would smack her if she did, but Ruby still had the urge to call him. Especially when her thoughts traveled down this well-worn path.

During her ultrasound, Ruby wanted his hand in hers more than anything. She’d wanted him there, with her as they heard the sound of their child’s heartbeat and found out the gender. Oliver should have been there for all of it. But he’d chosen not to be and Ruby had accepted that. Ruby couldn't bring herself to resent him for leaving. 

And she couldn't stop herself from wishing he'd stayed.

Limbo seemed to be Ruby's state of being lately.

* * *

Once she was back home Ruby unloaded her groceries and made her way to her apartment with the help of some doormen. Out of habit, she glanced over at Erik Stevens’ door. 

Since the day she’d moved in Ruby hadn’t seen much of Erik. He seemed to travel often, though nowhere near as much as Ruby traveled while with Oliver. Beyond that, though, he didn’t seem like a very social person. Ruth would tell her to mind her business and take the hint, but Ruby couldn’t let it go. 

He had such lonely eyes it made Ruby’s heartbreak.

If his reaction to her showing up with brownies was any sign Ruby was willing to bet he didn’t have people over often. Either that or he didn’t like it when people came over. He’d had an expression on his handsome face that Ruby had seen on her Pawpaw when relatives showed up uninvited.

But Ruby couldn’t explain that to Ruth. And she didn’t go back to his apartment with more treats. Ruby didn’t know what she planned to do about Erik’s sad eyes, but for now, she focused on her own issues.

Making a statement to the world.

Ruby wasn’t on the radar of mainstream media but due to her connection to Oliver, her career had skyrocketed. She’d made more two years out of school than most of her classmates had made in the ten they’d been out. Which was even more impressive because Ruby had never seen herself going down this path at all.

Baking had started as a hobby to keep the memory of her mother alive. Retta brown loved nothing more than spending all day in her kitchen. She cooked and baked and cleaned and ruled their home right in front of her gas stove. When she died, all Ruby asked for from their old house was her mom’s ceramic bowls and her hand mixer.

Culinary school had been Retta’s dream, but Ruby and Ruth had come first. When Ruby enrolled she’d planned on graduating in honor of her mother. She’d never seen herself as a line cook or a traveling tv chef. 

At best she’d imagined a tiny little kitchen she could sell baked goods out of.

But then she’d met Oliver and she’d have done anything to stand in his light, to feel the weight of his blue gaze. What was her career without Oliver? Ruby didn’t know. If people knew they were parting ways, would they ever take her seriously as a chef again? Did she care?

Too many questions, too little time. Ruby rubbed at her chest and burped. She would figure this out. She’d figured out of to temper chocolate during a heatwave. Ruby had won Chopped! She could make a stupid statement. She could be brave.

Ruby burped again. _Damn heartburn!_ The statement would have to wait until she felt more comfortable. Ruby needed a nap after her errands today, and her oonjal called to her aching, swollen feet.

Ruby woke up not that much later to the sound of her phone ringing in the kitchen where she’d left it. She’d sunk into the cushion on her oonjal, a knitted blanket thrown across her swollen belly. There was drool on her cheek, neck, _and_ shoulder. When Ruby opened her eyes, she felt like she’d somehow slept too hard and not enough.

Her phone continued to ring, stubbornly loud. It was no doubt her agent. Or the network, _politely_ reminding her that she needed to make a statement sometime this year.

Ruby let the phone ring out while she gathered her bearings. She took her time rising from the oonjal. Ever aware that there would come a day she couldn’t do this by herself any longer. Once on her feet, Ruby shoved that thought into the back of her mind.

Ruth was already chomping at the bit to move in now that her relationship with Dela was sputtering out. Ruby loved her twin but they absolutely could _not_ live together. They’d barely managed when they were kids. 

By the time Ruby made it to the kitchen her the call rang out. She stared at it dispassionately and turned to her fridge for bottled water. As she drank, her phone vibrated with a voicemail notification. After chugging the water bottle she tossed it into her recycling. Ruby approached her phone with her hands rubbing low on her belly.

She couldn’t put this off any longer. It had to happen now before Nicky took it upon themself to speak for her. Lord knew what they’d say to keep the network on their side.

Studying her living room, Ruby thought through the best way to say what she had to say without stepping on any toes. The last anyone had seen of her she’d been her usual, lanky self. Running around the kitchen after Oliver. Trying to save the contestants from the brunt of his anger.

Now she was huge. Her ultrasound hadn’t shown much more than either the back or the butt of the baby. Her new midwife suggested looking into a labor companion. Hinting without saying, "If your partner wouldn’t be there to help you through the labor."

Ruby was on the fence about it. She knew Ruth would be there for her in a heartbeat but her sister wasn’t exactly the calmest presence in the room. Like, at all.

* * *

The idea came to her all at once. It was golden hour and her new apartment had huge, floor to ceiling windows that let in all that beautiful light. It took very little to set her phone on a stand in front of the oonjal and let the radiance warm her skin. She was so wide now Ruby only wore loose-fitting tunic dress that ballooned around her.

It took a few tries but Ruby ended up with a picture she thought worthy of posting. The caption came to her much more easily.

**_Hello all! It’s been a while. I’ve decided to take a break from my tv family to start something new of my own. While Olly’s off whipping America’s Next Great Chef’s into shape, I’m happily enjoying my vacation. I want to thank @culinarytvn for all their support on my next endeavor and wish @lafemmerestaurant an amazing opening._ **

Ruby posted it after a quick read through for any typos then turned off her phone.


	7. 18 Weeks and the best Intentions

Erik heard the music first. The familiar staticy croon echoing through the stairwell carried to him even as his focus was stuck on his tablet. He'd finally located a possible lead with that anonymous Jabari wood sculptor. For the last three hours, he'd done as much research as possible to contact them.

Erik had a reputation for sourcing and connecting African artists to the rich people who wanted their art. Klauë started building his Wakandan art collection before Erik was born. But through Erik, his collection had grown to the point that he now owned a piece of art from every tribe in Wakanda.

Every tribe except for the Jabari.

It irked Erik that it's taken him this long to lock down contact. He wasn't a charismatic person by nature but Erik knew to turn it on when his money was involved. Through carefully chosen moments of charisma, Erik's accumulated a sizeable contact list of artists, art buyers, art dealers, that make his job as simple as a few emails. For the more eccentric clients he met them for lunch but moor often than not Erik could work entirely from his tablet.

The Jabari sculptor is a fucking African Mormon or something because the man has no social media. He has no online presence at all. Erik's fluent Xhosa does nothing to make his new contact open to sharing the sculptor's details.

,

The music echoing through the halls doesn't even reach his notice. What does reach his notice is his pregnant neighbor sitting on the floor in their hallway. painting a crib.

Erik's eyes focused on his tablet but he sensed the presence of someone else so he shifted to avoid them. Only to find something else in his way.

His foot kicks a bucket of paint and before Erik can react the slap of paint cuts through his focus.

"Oh hello, Erik," 

Erik didn't answer Ruby, his eyes glued to the arc of purple paint on his Keith Haring's. Everything in the world went very, very still.

"Oh dear," Ruby breathed. The sound of her soft voice made softer by ...something in her voice. He didn't know her well enough to guess but she sounded different.

"What… the fuck?" Erik set his bag and tablet down, careful because now he could see the art studio Ruby had made of their hallway. 

Gesturing at his shoe Erik reiterated, even louder, "What The Fuck!"

He glanced up at Ruby, she was still on the floor a very guilty expression on her face. Erik didn't fucking care what her face looked like. She'd fucked up his shoes!

Ruby struggled to rise to her feet, while Erik struggled to keep from raising his voice again.

"I'm so sorry! I should have been way more careful…"

Ruby went on a long contrite apology, her eyes growing shiny before big fat tears threatened to spill. It was painful to watch, precious seconds he could be saving the leather wasted by her teary rambling. Erik rolled his eyes and stepped around her, careful to keep on the painting cloth she'd somehow had the forethought to lay down.

His keys were out his pocket and scratching at the lock. Erik put his key in the lock with his foot dangling in the air away from his still thankfully untouched other shoe.

"You're gonna want to put baby oil on that," Ruby called after him.

Erik's key caught in the lock and he was slamming the door open without care when her words caught up with him.

"Baby oil?" He'd been planning on running it under the tap, scrubbing with a toothbrush, some Dawn, and praying to a God he didn't believe in.

Ruby approached cautiously. Sweeping excess tears off her cheeks in a movement too fast for him to see. She held her hand out and Erik, stuck between rage and caring for his shoe, didn't know what the fuck she expected him to do.

Once it clicked she wanted him to hand his shoe over, Erik reflexively tugged the shoe to his chest. Then he remembered the thick, still dripping paint and his bright white t-shirt and jerked it away.

Erik didn't want to give her his shoe. It was her fucking fault it was splattered with paint in the first place! Who the fuck painted a fucking… a fucking… crib?

His anger stuttered to halt and confusion made his head tilt to stare at the half-painted crib. He couldn’t be sure what she was painting, the angle he was at just revealed a large wooden frame. Every other bar seemed to be either purple or blue. Erik hadn’t known people still made wooden cribs for babies, let alone painted them by hand.

Erik’s lips curled with renewed rage. Why the fuck hadn’t she done this in her fucking apartment? Their units took up the entirety of this floor, so he knew she wasn’t hurting for space. But… she probably knew what she was talking about when it came to paint removal.

Her clothes, the baggie shirt and flowy pants that nearly covered her feet didn’t have a spot on them. Her crocs (and Erik almost closed his eyes in disgust at the sight of them) didn’t have a spot on them. The entire outfit looked well worn and old. The black of her shirt was faded and her pants had probably been a very vibrant yellow five years ago.

Despite the evidence that Ruby could do more to help his shoe than he could, Erik didn't trust her. 

He met her eyes with a hard glare. The Erik of five years ago would have cussed her out, pregnant and all. Erik might’ve sent his foot through the slats of her crib in retaliation for the ruination of a $140 pair of sneakers. That he’d had signed by the artist himself. Yet Ruby had this look on her face. Her cheeks still wet with tears Erik was too angry and frustrated to care about, but there was this look of…

He couldn't say. It was the facial equal to, "You have no reason to trust me, and that's fine. I still want to help." It was the sort of look he'd seen as a foster kid, but without the pity. The kind of look kids like Erik, abandoned, abused, and angry had hoped for. 

It did funny things to his chest, and he wanted nothing to do with that. So with a scowl, Erik thrust the shoe at her, splattering her shirt, pants, and crocs with purple paint. Ruby didn't seem to notice. She gave Erik a small smile, made sadder by the way she immediately dropped her eyes.

Erik didn't know what expression his face was making. Couldn't tell you if he was still pissed off about his sneakers (definitely) or confused by the strange sincerity from his weird-ass neighbor.

"I really am sorry about this. I should have been painting in the apartment but I worried the paint fumes would linger and hurt the baby. Of course, by the time the baby laid in this crib the paint would be dry for at least three or four months so-"

Ruby continued on this thread as she led him through the mess of paintbrushes, trays, and buckets towards her front door. It stood wide open, which was stupid even in this building if you asked Erik.

 _This is how niggas get robbed_ , he thought as Ruby led him down a short hallway to the heart of her apartment.

He didn't know what to expect. Erik hadn't gotten a read for her taste during their one meeting at his front door. Besides, he only remembered the brownie from that interaction. Moist, rich, and just the right amount of cakey, Ruby's brownies had overshadowed Erik's wings the rest of poker night.

Erik wasn’t sure how to feel when she instructed him to make himself at home in her living room. Cozy didn’t even begin to describe it. Several, thick rugs were layered over one another. Hiding the dark hardwood floors and muffling the sound of Erik’s footsteps.

A familiar wood frame sat in front of the floor to ceiling windows. They showed the other half of the view Erik saw from his apartment. The frame turned out to be a cushioned swing covered with a color knitted blanket.

Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the wall to the fake fireplace and continued on the other side of it. The wall ended in a hallway leading to what Erik knew would be at least three bedrooms, a couple of closets, and a guest bathroom. It was jarring in the ways their apartments were similar yet different.

For one, Ruby had managed to paint the walls a warm, eggplant color that was soothing on the eyes. Yellow pillows, blankets, and pieces of art brightened the room. As did the sky blue reading nook tucked between the windows and bookshelves. There, several comfortable chairs were arranged around a circular table and a standing lamp.

Even Ruby’s kitchen seemed… warmer. The walls were a mustard yellow, the cabinets and her stove with the funky looking knobs were all a royal blue. The white countertops were littered with wooden cutting boards of various sizes and shapes. Vases filled with wooden spoons, spatulas, ladles, and, funnily enough, three cookie jars. In the place, her island should be stood a long, rustic wood table. That too was covered with matching mixing bowls in shades of pink and powder blue. Cake stands filled with half-eaten cakes, cupcakes, and fresh-looking glazed donuts.

Had Erik walked into some alternate universe. Where his neighbor actually baked pies and cookies and shit for fun? This must have been what she’d done with her boss… or was he her baby daddy?

“My sister is such a prepper I have loads of baby oil and no baby. I tried to tell her to save some stuff for my Name Reveal Party but she insisted on being the baby’s favorite before everyone else.” Ruby’s soft voice carried from the hallway.

Erik turned in time to see her come around the corner baby bump first. His shoe in hand, along with a heinously big bottle of baby oil.

If Ruby was surprised to see him in her kitchen she didn’t show it. Without meeting his eyes, yet still somehow chattering away about who knew what, Ruby set the baby oil and his shoe on the table. Somehow, she gracefully spun towards a bank of drawers and pulled out a clump of towels.

“Of course I had hoped to keep my Name Reveal quite small. So I guess letting Ruth go nuts would make up for the smaller guest list. But I know Ruth is using shopping for MB as an excuse to avoid her soon-to-be ex. I always tell her it’s better to just be honest…”

While she talked Ruby wiped at the paint on Erik’s shoe, careful not to spread the paint. Once she got the worst of it off, she soaked one corner of a clean towel with baby oil and returned to that careful swiping motion. Still talking, she switched edges of the towel once it became suffused in paint. Eventually, she switched towels again, her thin fingers moving nimbly across the leather of Erik’s shoe.

Erik found himself mesmerized by her ability to spout off at the mouth and still de-paint his shoe. He couldn’t see any purple left when she finished the shoe off with a careful wipe of soap on a warm, damp towel. When she handed it back to him, she finished her long monologue with-

“But I guess my agent wants to make this a _thing_ as retribution for not telling them about my pregnancy immediately. They haven’t stopped sending me articles about female chefs whose careers fell off after they gave birth.”

With a smile too sad to be bitter Ruby added, “Not exactly what you want to hear after announcing your pregnancy but, what can I do? Your shoe should be alright after you give them a rub down with some leather oil. And again, I really am sorry about ruining them in the first place.”

Ruby stopped talking but Erik only noticed because of the sudden ringing in his ears. His eyes swept over the shoe, his hands caressing and feeling for any remaining baby oil or paint. He found none.

“Thanks,” Erik’s voice sounded extra gruff and thuggish after at least fifteen minutes of Ruby’s dreamy voice filling the air. He suddenly felt childish. How had he been so angry over a pair of shoes, at Ruby no less.

Erik couldn’t get her monologue out of his head. He felt like he owed her something, and that didn’t sit well with him. So, even though in any other situation he’d already be on his way out the door, Erik lingered. He put his shoe back on, pleased to find that Ruby hadn’t gotten any of the inside wet.

When he stood back up he found Ruby staring down at the cake stand with distant eyes. Her tears, and his total disregard of them in the face of his ruined shoe, haunted him.

Erik cleared his throat and fixed his stare over her head, “You good?”

Ruby shrugged, “Nothing I haven’t earned, I guess.”

Erik wanted to growl. That didn’t sate the feeling in his chest at all.

“Is it…” Erik winced and rubbed the back of his neck, “Is it like, pregnancy stuff?”

Ruby looked up at him in surprise, “Kind of.” it was the least he’d heard her talk in the two times they’d met.

Frustrated Erik gestured for her to keep going. Ruby blinked. Her voice a little unsure as she continued, “Um… I hadn’t told anyone I was pregnant because…” 

She hesitated a moment more, then she sighed, “Because I knew it would complicate my life in ways I wasn’t ready for.”

Erik chewed his lip, “So why not, you know…” was it okay to bring up abortion to a pregnant woman?

Ruby huffed a laughed, “I know it seems like the most obvious choice if I wasn’t ready for it. But,” she sobered then, the brief smile on her face dimming a bit, “I wanted the baby and the pregnancy. I just… I didn’t want all the other stuff. Like, what does this mean for my career both as a chef and…”

Ruby shot him a look and the rising flow of her words sputtered again. Erik raised an eyebrow. It took her a moment, but Ruby continued. It was obvious she was choosing her words carefully.

“My agent wants me to do talk shows. The network wants me to retape some stuff for our last season to include my pregnancy in my departure. It’s more than I expected. I liked that I could go to the doctor and shop for baby stuff and not think about a camera following me around.”

Taking a stab in the dark Erik asked, “And the baby’s father?”

Ruby bit her lip and shook her head.

Nodding Erik thought over the best response. He hated receiving advice when he didn’t want it, but something told him Ruby needed at least some response. She needed comfort. The Minnie Riperton now playing on her speaker was a testament to that. But Erik wasn’t a comforting man. His hands were better suited to violence, identifying and packaging art, not comfort.

“Say fuck them” Erik suggested. Ruby’s eyes shot to him and her eyebrows shot up. A second later she began giggling, a smile so sweet Erik’s lips pulled up in one corner a bit.

“I’m serious. You was just saying your pregnancy was fine before they started bringing you their opinions. So fuck them and do what you gotta do.”

“But what do I tell them? I’ve been a model employee for six years. My agent said I was their easiest client!”

Erik shook his head, uncertainty blown away by his natural “Take no shit” personality.

“Nah, fuck that. Are they growing a foot, right now? Are they creating a digestive system and a fucking pair of lungs right this second,” Ruby started laughing as Erik went on so he continued. Her laughter was like a bell chime and it was a thousand times preferable to the teary-eyed look she’d had earlier.

“Ruby they can’t force you to work, they can’t force you to do anything with your pregnancy that you don’t want to.” That uncomfortable feeling in his chest disappeared when Ruby smiled and nodded back at him.

Erik left after that, a fucking pastry box with a face on it in his hands. Ruby had insisted, as an apology for his shoe.

He’d planned on sitting at his computer until he’d tracked down contact information for that Jabari sculptor. Instead, Erik posted up in his kitchen and worked his way through that pastry box.

Every bite was too fucking delicious. Erik knew one thing for sure. No matter what Ruby decided to do about her agent and the network, she’d always have a gift with batter.


	8. 22 Weeks

Ruby’s never felt so big in her life. She’d been reedy as a kid, stick skinny and prone to tripping over her laces. When puberty hit so did curves, a plump ass, and a small but better than flat chest. Womanhood softened the harsher edges of long and lanky Ruby.

But this baby had turned her into a beached whale. All she could do was shuffle from her to her oonjal. A process that was becoming more and more difficult to do on her own. The rhythmic swinging did wonders for the sudden anxiety or naps Ruby couldn’t help but succumb to.

Ruth began visiting more often. Dela was moving out of their shared apartment so she was avoiding that whole situation. Ruby couldn’t complain, Ruth kept her fed. If left to her own devices Ruby would sit in her swing and nap the day away. She wished she had the weekend after meeting some chef friends for brunch.

MB hadn’t enjoyed Ruby’s tipsy friends any more than she had. It was the first time she’d left her apartment since moving around became a chore. Her midwife advised walking to relieve the back pain but she didn't go far.

The media had eaten Ruby's pregnancy announcement up. Her name had even trended on Twitter for a few hours. Carrie saw it and hit Ruby up for a catch-up sesh with the old crew. Carrie had been a staple in Oliver's kitchen before Ruby came along and took her under her wing early on. 

She invited Ameena, Kurt, and Rocky; chefs that had all worked with Ruby or Oliver at one point out another. Rocky had been the first to leave, though the last to join their group. Like most people, she hadn't enjoyed Oliver's work ethic and no one had blamed her. She now runs a pretty successful food truck that catered to stoners.

Ameena and Kurt had joined on after Oliver opened his Las Vegas location. Ruby had hazy memories of being drunk on the strip with those two. Which made it hard to reconcile their former relationship with her current predicament. Nothing had changed between any of them but Ruby's lifestyle was completely different.

They all showed up at 11 am on the dot. Oliver had instilled the fear of God in whatever cook thought he was too good to show up on time. Every other outing before included a cigarette or a joint and a bottle. They drank too dull the pain and drank to sleep through the night. All while berating shitty customers and co-workers to one another until late.

Today it was Ruby who arrived late. Her post-wake nap had run long and it took even longer to navigate her car through the gridlocked city streets. By the time Ruby arrived, they’d secured a table and drinks, though the cigarettes were nowhere in sight for once.

Carrie’s eyes found Ruby’s first. She waved, so Ruby waved back. Her brain stuck on one phrase like a scratched record, “They’re your friends, they don’t want to hurt you. They’re your friends they don’t want to judge you.”

“Hey, guys!” Ruby’s voice sounded more cheerful and a lot more confident than she felt. Hopefully, it’d stay that way for the rest of brunch.

Before they could catch up they had to order. Kurt knew the chef in the kitchen so they ordered for the table the way they would back in the day. It was a thing they did whenever they met up. Whoever knew the cuisine or the chef would help the other’s experience it in the best way possible.

This time, Ruby had to break the habit and order for herself, a move that did not go without comment.

“Oh…”Ameena made a sympathetic sound, her hooded dark eyes squinting with sympathy, “Cause of the _baby_?” she whispered baby as if it were a bad word and circled a finger around her flat stomach.

Ruby blinked at her, before saying at a normal volume, “Yeah MB gets a little fussy if I eat certain things.”

The crew shared a look and it was the first time Ruby had seen such a look from the _outside_. 

“MB?” Kurt ventured, his fingers twitched towards his pockets, for his cigarettes no doubt. At the last second, they swerved off course to grab his Irish coffee.

Ruby smiled softly and her hand came up to cup her baby bump, “Yeah my sister came up with it. She’s taken to calling the fetus Miracle Baby, MB for short.”

Ameena and Carrie ‘Aww’ in unison. Rock and Kurt share a look. Thinking he’s slick, he covered his mouth with his coffee mug and said, “So that’s what we’re calling it then.”

Ruby smiled wider and ignored him, “I have the ultrasound with me if you’d like to see it?” 

Carrie and Ameena hesitate, though their smiles remained on their faces. Ruby couldn’t see the expression on Kurt’s face. He’d turned away to signal the waiter for a refill.

“In a minute, hun, okay? We wanna hear from you!” Carrie, as usual, takes the lead and steers them towards a topic they can all contribute to. “Have you been watching the show? I heard they had to do reshoots after you left.”

Kurt and Ameena look at Ruby expectantly. Ruby took a sip of her water, “There’s not much to talk about.”

That was a lie. But as far as the lies Ruby was keeping under wraps it was tame. The network had asked her for reshoots for GOTK, which she refused to agree to. As a compromise, Nicky negotiated a hefty sum for a few greenscreen talking heads on Oliver’s new show.

Ruby had done it, and she’d taken the money they gave her for it, and not once did she ask about Oliver.

“Okay, then you have _got_ to tell us about what’s going on a La Femme? I heard they pushed back the open date,” Kurt studied Ruby closely as he said that.

Ruby was starting to think he’d come to this brunch for a very specific reason. And it had nothing to do with Ruby or her pregnancy.

The rest of the meal saw them pushing for answers Ruby couldn’t give or didn’t have. When that wasn't happening, Ruby kept excusing herself to go to the bathroom. Ameena even joked that she’d suspect Ruby of a coke habit if she weren’t so heavily pregnant. This then led to a conversation about how big she’d gotten Ruby didn’t enjoy at all.

Ruby knew she was big for five months but she’d hoped her _friends_ would know to keep it to themselves.

In the end, Ruby extended the invitations she’d ordered to her Name Reveal party even though she didn’t want to. Throughout the meal, she’d had a hard time remembering why she thought these people were friends. 

In the kitchen they were invaluable. On the road, they were even fun. That brunch reminded Ruby of all their less than stellar personalities and quirks.

Ruby felt awful for thinking this but her friends were not very good people. And they were definitely not good friends.

Maybe her isolation had made Ruby forget the reality of her situation. No one at brunch had asked but she was sure they suspected who the father of her baby was. At this point a lot of people had theories. There were, of course, those who guessed right away that Oliver was the father. Her chef friends obviously thought so too.

Even Ruth hadn't stopped pushing her to force Oliver to take responsibility. But that wasn’t what Ruby wanted.

To Ruby, Oliver’s involvement ended at conception. It’s what they both wanted, at this point at least. She could admit it took her a minute to warm to the idea of her child being fatherless. Ruby was a total daddy’s girl before her father passed. She’d always imagined having a daughter that shared the same love and adoration for her father Ruby had.

But that wasn’t her reality and Ruby had accepted that.

Ruby hated that it mattered at all. MB was her baby, she was doing all the work. As Erik had put it, she was the one growing feet and a fucking pair of lungs. What the hell could the father of her child do at this point?

How would Erik have handled that brunch had he been there? Ruby didn’t know him well, but she could guess he wouldn’t have gone to brunch in the first place. He didn’t seem the type.

Ruby saw Erik often these days. Her twice-daily walks coincided with when he was coming and going from his apartment. He never seemed in any particular rush and he always walked her to the lobby where they parted ways. Erik to the parking garage and Ruby to the sidewalk that wrapped around their building.

Erik wasn’t as chilly as he’d been when she introduced herself with brownies, but Ruby wasn’t sure she’d call them friends. What did you call the neighbor who listened to you while you talked about your pregnancy?

Ruby would worry she was imposing if not for the way Erik slowed for her when Ruby couldn’t match his pace. Or the way he grunted acknowledgment of her words as she spoke.

She thought about him while climbing the stairs after brunch. Even though she knew he’d have never gone, she couldn’t help but imagine his reaction to the friends. Ruby didn’t know him well enough to draw up anything but a blank. But she suspected he’d have been a better friend than them for sure.

Even though she wasn’t sure she could call him a friend.

  


The rich scent of...something called to Ruby during her trek. Ruby let the scent carry to her floor and beyond. AKA, Erik’s door. 

Her lack of a sweet tooth persisted, so Ruby’s cravings fell along the savory variety. She had Ruth making trips to Churches for the family size buckets of mashed potatoes and gravy. When Ruby woke up from her heat flashes she ate roasted garlic cloves until she felt tired enough to go to sleep.

She stared at the door to apartment 5D with some surprise. Ruby didn’t think Erik incapable of cooking for himself. But the force of her cravings took her off guard. 

This close she could smell curry and some kind of meat, beef or pork. Ruby had once joked that she had curry running through her veins. All she’d eaten for most of that trip had been curry, rice, and any kind of grilled meat the cities had to offer.

Before she could talk herself out of it Ruby knocked on Erik’s door. It was the first time she’d come over since her brownie introduction. It felt all at once like she was overstepping a boundary and like she was asking to get juice out of her fridge. They may not be friends, but Erik had been in Ruby’s apartment more than once since she’d cleaned his shoe.

There was that time she’d been making popcorn on the stove and forgot to turn the burner off. Ruby had gotten distracted while searching her fridge for the last container of sausage gravy she’d made earlier in the week. Erik had rushed in before the smoke alarm could ring. Saving Ruby from fire, that time, and throwing the bowl away in the dumpster out back. 

Then there was that time she’d left her door open and fallen asleep with the oven preheating. Erik had once again come to her rescue. Ruby had almost given him a key after that because she obviously couldn’t trust herself. The thought of what Ruth would say, let alone do, to her if she found out stilled her hand.

Erik’s door swung open, the expression on his face warmer than the blank mask he usually wore. Smiling sheepishly at him, Ruby rubbed at her belly.

“Hello, Erik,”

Erik leaned against his door jam and smirked, “Ruby,” his eyes lowered to her belly, “MB,”

Ruby’s smile brightened, “Are you in the mood for guests?”

Erik shrugged, “That depends,”

Ruby raised her eyebrows at the small hint of a smile curled in the corner of his mouth.

“If I say no are you gonna set your apartment on fire again.”

Ruby pointed a finger at him, “Hey! There were no actual fires. Just a little smoke. And I did _not_ do that on purpose. I was resting my eyes,”

Erik said that last part as she did. Cocking an eyebrow, “Yeah I heard that before.”

Ruby laughed and shook her head, “I said sorry. And besides, if I wanted to spend time with you I would say so.”

Erik cocked his head as if considering her words. Ruby gestured between them, “Which is what I’m doing right now. So Erik, would you keep me company? I had a very trying and not at all satisfying brunch with some old colleagues and the aromas coming out of your kitchen are making me and MB’s feel a lot better.”

Erik sighed, “You can’t use the baby as bait, Ruby.” he smacked his teeth, “And if you wanted a fuckin’ plate just say so.”

He turned abruptly back into his apartment and stalked off. Ruby smiled after him. She took the fact that he left his door open to mean she could come in.

The inside of Erik’s apartment was a lot like Ruby's in layout. But Erik had knocked down several walls so the living space looked bigger. Ruby wasn’t afraid of color or pattern or texture regardless if they went together or not. 

Erik seemed to like three colors, black, gold, and silver. Modern furniture marked the dining and living spaces and eclectic art added character.

If Ruby had to describe Erik’s space in three words she’d use dark, expensive, and cold. The warmest thing in his apartment was the curry bubbling away on the stove. Low-fi and ESPN filled the silence.

Ruby left her loafers and her purse by the door and settled both hands on her belly. She followed Erik's confident stride with a slight waddle. Her bare feet slapped against the hardwood floors and stuck to the cold, black marble tile in Erik’s kitchen.

She couldn’t tell you what she expected from Erik’s apartment but found that this didn’t disappoint. It was clean, almost scarily so, and his view was even more breathtaking since he’d removed most of the walls. But it felt too big for one man.

Ruby’s apartment sometimes felt too big, and she had way more clutter in her home than Erik had in his.

When she neared him, Erik turned off the stove. He stirred the large metal pot a few more times before setting the spoon aside.

“So you said you had a bad day?” Erik asked without looking away from his task. He moved around Ruby and gathered bowls, spoons, and glasses. Into one glass he poured a splash of cognac, into the other he poured water.

Ruby rubbed her belly as she thought, “Not so much a bad day I guess. More disappointing. I’ve kind of kept the whole pregnancy thing to myself but a few weeks ago I told a bunch of people and well…” she trailed off. Ruby lost her train of thought and she didn't actually want to talk about her disappointment.

Erik didn’t comment on the pause, he’d heard it happen often enough during their brief walks. Pointing her to the table, Erik began filling one of the bowls with rice, still steaming from the rice cooker on his countertop.

“How was your day? I just realized I don’t know what you do for a living and now I feel totally selfish for monopolizing our conversations so far.”

Erik smirked, “It was chill or whatever. I don’t talk about myself so don’t feel bad.”

Ruby shook her head, “Well it still doesn’t make it right that I’m constantly talking about myself. Who wants to hear about ultrasounds and my aching rib cage?”

Once Erik filled both bowls with rice and curry, he carried their plates over to the table. Ruby followed him and sat where he directed her, still chattering about what people don’t want to hear from pregnant women. She’d been thinking about it the whole way home and now had a list.

When Erik settled in his own chair across from her he mixed his rice and curry together with quick, efficient movements, “You got your ultrasound?”

Ruby stopped talking and gasped, “Oh yes! I forgot to show you the last time we talked! Hold on let me get it.” Ruby lumbered to her feet, using the chair and table to balance as she did. 

She couldn’t run, but Ruby had perfected a sort of speed hop-walk that got her across the room to where she’d left her purse. Ruby returned to the table with the ultrasound in hand. She handed it over to Erik before she settled back in her chair.

Erik studied the ultrasound, spoon poised above his bowl. Ruby attacked her curry while he did. It was rich and delicious, nearly as good as the curry she’d had during her travels.

A part of her felt guilty for eating again so soon after brunch, but she hadn’t enjoyed her meal at all. It was a little hard to enjoy eating when your tablemates pointed out all the ways you’d gained weight.

With Erik, Ruby knew he didn’t care what she did or how she did it. She cleaned her bowl in peace and swiped a finger around the bottom to get every last drop of curry.

“What am I looking at?” Erik grunted. His eyes raised from the picture to Ruby. His voice was gruff but not unkind. 

Ruby beamed, “MB is camera shy. That was the best angle the doctor could get.”

Licking the last of the curry off her fingers, Ruby took the picture from Erik’s fingers and set it on the table between them. Pointing here and there, Ruby pointed out the baby’s buttcrack and spine, pretty much all they could see at this point.

Erik was still squinting when Ruby finished but he grunted supportively, “You find out the gender yet?”

Ruby took the photo from him and traced the line of her baby's spine with her eyes, “Yes but I don’t plan on telling anyone. I figure the gender doesn’t really matter this early.”

Erik cocked his eyebrow while he chewed, “You’re not gonna do one of those...whatcha call its?”

Ruby swiped a finger around her bowl, collecting as much curry as possible, “Gender Reveals? No, I don’t plan to. I know they’re the _thing_ right now but I’m not interested. I’m going to do a Name Reveal. Ruth thinks I’m silly of course but the baby deserves a name better than Miracle Baby. We’re closer than ever to the end.”

Erik nodded but his eyes were on the way Ruby was wiping up curry and licking it from her fingers.

“You know I have more right?”

“Yeah…”Ruby said sheepishly, finger still in her mouth.

“So why don’t you ask for more?”

Ruby shrugged, “I didn’t want to be rude.”

Erik scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Just gimme the damn bowl.”


	9. 22 Weeks And Caramels and Smiles

"Where's my _fucking_ sculpture!"

Erik cursed and beat his head against his fist as Klauë went on.

"You told me you'd complete my collection this year! You told me I could show off the greatest art that Wakanda had to offer if I trusted you. Well, it seems I've trusted you and you haven't come through!"

Erik counted to ten before he began speaking. His instinct was to remind Klauë that he had the biggest collection of Wakandan art outside the country itself. And that Erik wasn't an idiot. He never made promises he couldn't keep. So he knows he never told Klauë he'd complete his collection this year.

That didn't matter to Klauë though, so Erik didn't bring it up.

"I've made contact with the sculptor but he refuses to sell to me. I tried paying a local to buy the piece for me but they all said no."

Wakanda was one of the rare countries that inspired patriotism in its citizens. The GDP of the country itself was enough to rival several nations. And the personal fortunes of several billionaires. Wakandan's were a happy, healthy, and well taken care of by their government and nation.

Essentially, Wakanda was bribe proof. At least, for Erik, they were.

"I don't want to hear excuses Stevens, I want _fucking_ results!" The line went dead. The silence following Klauë's caterwauling set Erik's teeth on edge.

He hadn't become a buyer to get condescended to by rich, colonizers with more money than sense. He'd left the Navy because he refused to let another grown man yell in his face. Erik had changed his whole life so that he was in control. No orders to follow, no superiors dumber than a slice of bread telling him when to jump and expecting him to happily ask how high.

Erik had done everything he could to get away from that, but it seemed as if it didn't matter what he wanted. He could be tame, play by the rules of the game he hated and it didn't matter in the end. As long as Erik was working for someone else, there'd be someone waiting to talk down to him.

"Erik, the caramels have cooled," a soft, angelic voice cut through Erik's frustration. Bringing him back to what he'd been doing before he stepped into the hallway to take Klauë's phone call.

He wasn't sure how, but Ruby had inserted herself into Erik's routine without him noticing. In the mornings and evenings, they talked as she set out for her pregnant lady walk and Erik headed off to work or the gym. 

On the days they were both home, she filled his fridge with sweet treats. In return, he gave her his mother's comfort food staples. Mac and cheese, beef stu, chicken-fried pork chops, and biscuits and gravy. Through their meal sharing, Erik learned that Ruby loved gravy more than she loved candy. Still, she continued making sweets she'd never eat.

"A'ight cool, I'll be in there in a minute."

Ruby beamed at his response then ducked back into the apartment. Erik stared after her moment and then looked back at his phone. His inbox had nothing new in it. The Jabari sculptor hadn't responded to Erik's attempts at contact. Again.

Cursing again Erik made his way into Ruby's apartment. He shouldn't feel this comfortable walking into someone else's home. As a kid, he'd rarely relaxed in his foster home. It wasn't like he ever stayed long enough to even try to get comfortable.

But Ruby wouldn't stand for someone being uncomfortable in her home. She always had blankets and pillows on the couch in easy reach. There was always something on the table to eat. If he came at the right time she was usually baking something new for him to try.

It was what having a grandma would have felt like Erik imagined. But he did not have familial feelings for Ruby at all.

Pregnant or not, Ruby was a beautiful woman. Had Erik met her before the baby he's sure he would have tried to shoot his shot. But Erik doubts anything would have come of it. She was still in love with the father of her child and Erik wasn't the commitment type. 

That's why they worked as they were now. Neither one of them were looking for anything other than company. A person to eat with when eating alone felt a little more lonely than usual.

Ruby was in the kitchen where Erik had left her, so he took up his usual spot at her island and waited.

"You know my caramels are what got me my job with my old boss?" Ruby spoke as if they'd never stopped talking, a habit Erik found funny and fascinating. He couldn't figure out how she did it, or why she did it.

The one time he'd asked her Ruby had given him such a long look of confusion she'd over-frosted a sugar cookie.

Erik's eyes shifted to his laptop bag on Ruby's couch. He'd thrown it there after she'd tugged him from the lobby and up into her apartment. Chattering about her Name Reveal and gift registry too quickly for Erik to stop her. He should be trying to contact the sculptor again. 

Anyone else he would have shoved them away and cussed them out for putting their hands on him. Ruby always had him on a three-second delay. By the time Erik caught up, she was looking at him with these big brown eyes and that sweet, happy smile…

Who could snap at that?

Plus, even if he did, she'd be so understanding about it. The first time she pulled her yank up the stairs routine Erik yanked his arm away so fast he sent her stumbling. Off-balance and not used to her new center of gravity, Ruby wobbled for a few terrifying moments.

Erik's heart climbed into his throat and his reflexes worked to his advantage. He'd shifted back into her space, dropped his messenger bag, and used both hands to steady her at the waist.

A few weeks after their brownie meeting Erik had looked up pregnancy facts. By that point, he'd realized she was a "quirky" black girl. The kind who forgot her code to the building but remembered Erik's door number and rang _him_ to let her in.

He liked to prepare for any eventuality so that he could then prevent them from ever happening. Erik had plans to buy a plane ticket during the latter months of her pregnancy. He didn't wanna be responsible for a ride to the hospital in case she waited too long.

Or left her oven on. Again.

Erik used the extra momentum from her stumble to pull Ruby into his chest. She came to a hard halt with her ribs in his rib cage. Erik had the wind knocked out of him but Ruby didn't fall.

If he had to pinpoint it, _that_ was the moment Ruby had declared herself his friend. And in the process made her home, her desserts, and her chatter open for him to settle in.

Once Erik realized this he'd had a lot of hard decisions to make.

For one, Ruby wasn't near as tolerable as Bradford. Whether they were in the gym, sharing coms on COD, or whooping his friends at poker. Bradford kept his speech focused only on the necessary information.

He didn't talk about his wife or his job. And he didn't pry into Erik's life. By anyone else's standards, Bradford was Erik's best friend. He wouldn't go that far but he could say Bradford was definitely the closest anyone could to that status.

Ruby was talkative. And when she wasn't talking she still managed to make noise. Whether it was to hum to whatever was playing on her record player at that moment or she talked to her bump. She talked about what she was cooking, tasting everything and rubbing her stomach as she went.

She was doing it now, right before Erik's eyes. Ruby had started on her caramel story in that dreamy way she did when lost in thought. Meanwhile, her steady hands calmly poured steaming hot caramel into molds. 

"Man, I had only just turned 22 and I was apparently breaking records and no one had told me." Ruby ducked her head, something she did when she felt like she'd said too much and expected to be reprimanded.

Erik took his eyes off his laptop and refocused completely on her. She didn't talk about her accolades or her fame often. If Erik had to guess she was completely in denial about it. Or maybe dissociated. Ruby seemed to exist on a different plane than most people, and not because she had "pregnancy-brain".

Wherever Ruby existed everyone was inherently good and everything could be forgiven. A philosophy Erik couldn't get behind. He'd lived half his life fueled on a need for revenge. 

Erik never got his revenge and he found a new reason to go on. Still, even he didn't believe everything could be forgiven. Some things you couldn't come back from

"Anyway my mentor had let Olly apprentice for him back in the '90s. Even though they had a falling out because Olly wanted to start his own restaurant in Las Vegas. They were on much better-speaking terms while I was around." She shrugged, grabbed a wooden skewer and swirled it through the cooling caramel.

"Anyway, I wasn't even on the line yet. I was still prep only. But my mentor saw me as the daughter he and his wife never got to have. Oh! He's coming to the Name Reveal, you're gonna love him. He's so warm!"

Ruby's focused broke from her task for the first time since he'd reentered the apartment. Even though he'd known it was coming, Erik still wasn't prepared for the full force of her smile and her eyes and…

This. This was why Erik put up with the chatter and the singing and the loving way she still said 'Olly'. He was actually getting kind of sick of that last part. Thankfully the desserts made up for that.

_Speaking of…_

"Yo, I thought you said they were almost ready?" He drummed on the table impatiently his laptop forgotten.

Ruby snapped her fingers, "Oh! I forgot…" She waddled to her fridge. Erik immediately felt like a dick for his tone.

Being on her feet could not be comfortable this far into the pregnancy. Erik noticed her walking around barefoot or wearing sandals. He wondered how far along she was. He wondered what she planned to do once it was time to give birth.

Jumping to his feet Erik raced into the kitchen to help her, "Hey where can I help? Were you done with these? You need me to put these in the fridge for you? Are you gonna take those out right now? Here let me do it."

Using her own method of speaking against her, Erik was able to herd her away from the fridge and the kitchen. He gave her one final nudge towards her wooden swing and then turned back to take over where she'd left off.

Confused but not complaining, Ruby yawned.

"Thank you, Erik. I'm gonna go… rest my eyes for a bit and then I'll…" a yawn cut her off. Without finishing her sentence she waddled to her swing.

"Should you be this tired this far into it?" Erik took the cooled caramel, shaped like bunnies and rainbows, and set them on the table. The still warm caramels, shaped like the letters of the alphabet, went into the fridge.

"Hmm, I'm not sleeping well at night. It's easier to nap than to sleep all night I guess…"

When Erik turned around Ruby was gone, knocked out on her little swing. The late evening sun lit her skin from within and have Erik all kinds of uncomfortable thoughts. It was time for him to leave.

Ruby had these adorable pastry boxes that she often wrapped desserts in. Erik had no idea where she got them from. Or why they had to be pastel. Or have little sayings on them... Erik accepted them as a part of the Ruby package without question.

As Erik filled one such box, Ruby spoke up from her swing and scared the fuck out of him.

"You know if you're having so much trouble with that sculptor you should go to Jabariland."

Erik popped an E shaped caramel into his mouth and shot the back of her head a look. 

"Tried that already. I went to Wakanda and he didn't want to meet with me." That hadn't bruised his ego at all. It wasn't like Erik's entire career depended on this one fucking sculptor.

"Did you go to Jabariland? Did you go to the sculptor?" Ruby persisted, sounding far too alert for someone who'd been snoring.

_She'd make an amazing mother._

"Ruby, do you know where Jabariland is? Its all the way up the fucking mountains. It snows in the summer out there."

Erik had gotten to the foot of the first mountain and said, "Fuck this. He can meet me in the Golden City."

He'd been too cold to think. The thought of going back made him shudder.

"Think about it, some people hold their culture very closely to them. Until a few years ago Wakanda was a closed country. Now it's a thriving hub of technology and philanthropy. You can't expect everyone to be so open about sharing what was for so long theirs."

"But I'm not stealing it! I'm giving the nigga money for it!" Erik felt like this was capitalism 101

Goods and services exchanged for currency. It didn't have to be American money or even German money. Klauë was one rich motherfucker, he could afford the exchange rates on currency.

Ruby hummed in that way she did when he was getting worked up. Noticing it should have pissed him off. Who was she to try calming him down? Instead, Erik took a deep breath. In a calmer tone, he continued.

"I don't understand the fucking around. Why drag this out if he's never gonna fucking sell?

"Maybe he wants someone who will respect it and he hasn't seen that from you or your boss yet." Ruby yawned, "Either way you'll figure it out, Erik. I don't understand your job but I'm sure you're the best at it."

Erik laughed at that. He turned to remind her of his job description yet again only to find himself looking at Ruby.

Only… Ruby was still on her swing. And Ruby...2 (?) was very much not pregnant. And Erik was checking. His eyes danced from the deepset scowl to the raised eyebrow to the very flat, almost cut to be honest, stomach.

Ruby 2's hair was different too. Long, rope-like braids whereas Ruby's hair was thick and wild and natural.

"Who the fuck are you?" Ruby 2 demanded. Her voice cracked through the sugar scented warmth of Ruby's apartment like a whip.

Immediately it clicked, Ruth. Erik relaxed the defensive tension her presence had put in his frame. But he remained aware of her hands at all times. Ruby had told him she liked to fight, Erik didn't want to find that out tonight.

"Oh hello Ruth, when did you get in?" Ruby sounded oblivious to the tension between Erik and her sister.

Erik suspected she was oblivious, but Ruby had a way of surprising him.

"I came here to visit my sister and I find a _man_ ," she said the word like she wanted to spit, "In her apartment."

Ruth bounced her head between them both. When no one said anything she slapped her hands together and said, "Care to explain! Anyone?"

Frowning at Ruth, Erik finished throwing his caramels in the box and then closed it. He walked around her, again putting on a show of dismissing her but not actually letting his guard down. Once he had his laptop in hand Erik called to Ruby without breaking his stride to the door.

"You try to get some sleep tonight, a'ight?" He nodded to Ruth out of respect for Ruby then dismissed himself from the situation.

As soon as the door clicked shut he heard Ruth's voice crack out, "Okay what the _fuck_ is going on? I leave you alone for two fucking minutes and you find yourself a fucking-"

Erik banged on the door to shut her up. Ruby's sweet giggle filled the following silence.

"Goodnight Erik!"

  


Alone in his apartment, Erik sucked on the buttery, rich caramel in his mouth and studied travel sites. He needed to find the most efficient way to get to Jabariland. Klauë would comp him for the expense so money was no issue. It was the timeline. 

The best possible time for Erik to go was as soon as possible. The next best possible time was exactly after that.

Klauë was at the end of his patience with Erik. If he made him wait any longer for this piece he'd ruin Erik's reputation. Which couldn't have happened at a worst time in his career. Erik was getting fucking sick of buying for assholes like Klauë.

If Erik left now and Ruby went into labor who would drive her to the hospital? He didn't even know if she was having the baby at the hospital. Either way, Erik knew in an emergency he was her best shot at getting there. Paramedics were expensive.

They didn't live far from the hospital, something, it seemed, Ruby had planned for. Still, who wants to walk to the hospital to have a baby?

Again, Erik reminded himself, she hasn't even asked you.

Still, he set to work trying to make his trip as short and respectful as possible. Erik would yuck it up with that artist as long as he had to, get Klaue's statue, and take a fucking vacation.

Maybe he could get Ruby to bake him a peace offering for the sculptor...


	10. 22 Weeks & Still Not Over It

“Should I even move in? Since all of a sudden, you let niggas-"

"His name's Erik" Ruby supplied, rising out of her slouch to give Ruth room to join her on the swing.

Ruth took the seat but ignored Ruby's words entirely. "I've lived in a nigga free household for too long to ever go back to-"

"You know you don't have to move in. I can afford a nanny."

Ruth smacked her lips, "Black people don't hire nannies!"

Ruby rolled her eyes, this again. Ruth had said the same thing before every one of Ruby's trips. A part of her was sure Ruth was mostly joking, but she said it often enough that Ruby was starting to wonder. Ruby traveled and did everything black people supposedly didn't do. She sent Ruth a souvenir every time. Her version of, "I told you so."

"Are you trying to say Beyoncé doesn't have a nanny? You think Jay Z is with the kids while she works?" 

Ruth waved her hand, signaling that she was over the topic of conversation, “So I’ve been working on your weird-ass Name Reveal. I have everything lined up except one thing.”

Ruby looked at her sister expectantly. Planning parties was what she did for a living. Usually, her work was sought after by the who’s who of Black Hollywood. But she’d started her career planning Ruby’s baby shower, wedding, and funeral all before they were out of car seats.

Death did weird things to kids as young as they were. Luckily, Ruth’s instinct to plan everything had made adapting her baby shower dreams to Ruby’s wishes a piece of cake.

Speaking of cake…

“Before that tell me you got Melissa and Sandra to the desserts. You know I refuse to eat anyone else’s cupcakes.”

As if she would eat the cupcakes. Her distaste for sweets persisted, but Ruby had been dreaming of Melissa's lemon cupcakes since her cravings started. She refused to have her party without them.

“I got your damn cakes now will you listen to me?” Ruth paused until Ruby nodded. She pointedly flicked out her arm and cleared her throat before reading whatever was on the screen out loud.

“Hey Ruth, it’s Moira! Nicky told me to come to you about RuRu’s baby shower!”

Ruby winced, “Oh…”

Ruth locked her phone and let it drop from her hand dramatically, “Yeah, ‘Oh’. Who could have predicted that this would happen.”

Shooting her sister a dirty look Ruby shifted fully out of relax mode. Ruth had come in with a problem. Now Ruby had to attend to it.

“I thought you told Nicky we were doing it small, family and friends?”

Ruth poked her lip out and tilted her head, “I mean…”

Ruby sighed and fought to bite back every foul thing she wanted to say. It wouldn’t help the situation. It would just upset her even more after the fact. She hated getting snippy with her sister. That said, her twin could be a little more helpful.

“Look, I know I’ve gone about this baby thing all wrong-”

“Ruby I don’t care how you got pregnant!” Ruth rolled her eyes as if this were obvious.

“Yeah well all you Oliver comments are getting old and they’re starting to make me feel bad.” Ruth looked shocked to hear this. Ruby plowed on, “I know I made a mistake even being with him. I was the stupid one who should have known better than to go after a married man. And I’m sure many more people would say I should have just aborted MB so I wouldn’t have to deal with issues like this,”

Ruby gestured to Ruth’s phone where Moira’s text lay hidden behind a black screen. Locked or not, the text existed. And because her sister was a petty bitch who kept her read receipts on, Moira no doubt knew the second Ruth opened and read the message. There was no chance of Ruby escaping this.

“Ruby I never meant to make you feel like this. I just hate how fucking forgiving you are.” Ruth touched her hand to Ruby’s stomach, “MB is my baby too, I don’t care how they got there. However, I won’t allow MB’s daddy to treat my sister any kind of way.”

“He’s not treating me like anything at all!” Ruby protested.

“I know!” Ruth shot back, “And it’s fucking bullshit!” Ruth gestured as she spoke. The passion in her voice and movements rocked them both, “Six years of Christmas’! Six years of you calling me from some embassy because y’all were stuck between two countries at war. Or not hearing from you for months at a time because Oliver wanted to check out Tibetan cuisine!”

“Six years of him becoming apart of our lives! We went to his kids’ graduation! We’re in their goddamned photo album. And now he can’t fucking man up to the woman carrying his child?”

Stunned by the force of her sister’s outburst, Ruby cracked out, “He didn’t ask for this…” It was a phrase she was becoming tired of repeating.

Ruth huffed, “Okay so then what are you gonna do in a few years when your kid starts asking about their dad?” Ruth waited for Ruby to respond. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She didn’t have an answer.

“How about an easy one, hmm? What are you gonna do when you run into Moira? Both y'all pregnant with the child of the man who told you he couldn't afford any more children in his life.”

A strange, sharp ringing filled Ruby’s ears.

“W-what?”

Ruth’s hard gaze softened. Slowly, she unlocked her phone and tapped at it until it brought her to Moira’s social Instagram page. Clear as day, there was an ultrasound in front of her rounded belly. Oliver’s hand held the other corner. It wasn’t any different from the pregnancy photos they’d taken of their first four children. Ruby had seen them often whenever she was in their house or when their show had an episode involving his family.

It wasn’t any different from anything Ruby had ever seen from them before, yet it devastated Ruby.

“You see? This is why I tried-”

“Shut. Up.” Ruby whispered. Her voice shook. Her whole body was shaking. The swing rocked precariously underneath them.

Ruth shot Ruby a sharp look, “No I will not ‘shut up’ because you need a fucking realit-”

“I said _shut up_!” Ruby shrieked. The force of her voice ripped out of her throat and left her vocal cords feeling raw. Yet it shut Ruth up. Wide-eyed, Ruth kept her mouth shut. When Ruby held her hand out, Ruth handed her phone over quickly and without question.

A quick flick through her feed showed hints of Moira’s status over the past few months. She had highlights of her ultrasounds with doctors that specialized in “geriatric pregnancies”. Moira was only forty, but apparently, that made her an octogenarian in pregnancy years. Whatever it meant, Moira was using her platform -as what Oliver’s wife?- to draw awareness of pregnancy at 40.

“So she’s a fucking advocate now?” Ruth mumbled under her breath. She was looking at the same thing as Ruby though she drew back when they locked eyes.

“She’s only a month behind me,” Ruby said the words like the fact they were. On the outside, she was calm. Struck dumb by the revelation, but to the average observer, Ruby was taking the news well.

Inside, she was a roiling pit of heartbreak, nausea, and (most of all) rage. Ruby couldn’t ever remember being this angry. At anyone. Not when her parents died or when she actually experienced racism abroad. Rage wasn’t an emotion Ruby experienced often and the feeling of it pumping in her veins was near acidic.

“I need to lie down.” Ruby dropped Ruth’s phone on the seat of the swing and stood up without Ruth’s help.

“O-okay. Sure? Do you want me to…” Ruth seemed to rethink her wording, “I can stay if you want me to or I could go…”

Ruby shuffled around the swing, her mind a million miles away, “I need to lie down. And then I need to speak to Oliver.”

Ruth made a noise that had Ruby pausing in the hallway to the bedrooms. She looked back at her sister, “Isn’t this what you wanted? I’m confronting him.”

Ruth bit her lip, one of the few nervous habits they shared, “I know I know but I didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t think you’d be this hurt.”

Ruby shrugged, “What do you want from me, Ruth? I’m trying my best.”

Ruth made a wounded noise and rushed to Ruby’s side. Hugging each other was a little more difficult with MB in the mix between them, but the sisters made do. In Ruby’s ear, Ruth finished her sentence from earlier.

“Look I want the gut the fucker like a fish so fucking bad but the last thing I want is you hurt off that fool.” Ruth squeezed Ruby closer and said, almost like an afterthought, “I care about you so much. I don’t think anyone fucking deserves you. Especially not a dumbass who’d impregnate you and his wife within weeks of each other.”

Ruby hugged Ruth back but it did nothing to soothe the raw emotion still boiling in her chest. 

She’d never thought Oliver was faithful to her. Ruby accepted that if he was willing to cheat on his wife with her that he’d have been willing to cheat on his wife on anyone. It was one of the things she’d thought would eventually tire her of him. The sneaking around got old once it became tedious instead of adventurous. But Ruby continued doing it for him.

Ruby would have done anything for Oliver, had nearly done anything for him. 

In the end, she’d chosen her baby, herself, over what he wanted and had lost him in the process. Ruby had consoled herself with the knowledge that it wasn’t _her_ baby he didn’t want, as morbid and vain as that wish was. 

And now the stupid bandaid she’d applied to her heart had been ripped off in the cruelest way.

* * *

Erik hadn’t seen Ruby for nearly four days after running into Ruth in her apartment. It wasn’t a length of time worth worrying over. They’d only gotten closer over the last few weeks or so. It wasn’t like Ruby was a part of his routine or anything.

Still, it was unnerving walking the stairs without her light, dreamy voice chattering away at his side.

He made no attempts to knock on her door though. If Ruby wanted Erik around, she’d come to him just as she’d done before. Nothing had changed between them there.

But he hadn’t smelled anything coming from her apartment in a while either. Usually, she baked something new every couple of days, if not every day. Her desserts were usually given to neighbors and the people who ran the building. He’d gone with her on her rounds a few times. Watching her interact with the neighbors he’d only seen in passing like old friends.

Erik had already worked through the last supply of sweets Ruby left for him. Now his well-fed sweet tooth was wondering when the next drop would hit. To distract himself, Erik dove into planning his plan of attack with the sculptor.

In Ruby’s absence, Erik was able to secure a meeting with the sculptor again, this time _in_ Jabari Land. He saved Klaue money by not needing a translator. He used the money he would have spent on all the weather-appropriate clothing he'd need for a week-long stay.

After blowing ten grand of Klaue’s money on his trip, Erik grew antsy with the silence in his apartment.

Usually Ruby would be here, sitting in his kitchen and trying out whatever he was cooking. Erik usually preferred to order in if he had to cook for himself. Ruby had become a meal companion after she showed up to his door craving whatever he’d been cooking at the time. 

That first meal she’d filled his apartment with chatter, the sound of her flipflop slapping against the marble because her leg refused to sit still, and above all warmth. Ruby radiated warmth wherever she went. She ate her portion and his without even realizing it. Then proceeded to arrange the throw pillows on his couch.

When Ruby eventually left, four hours after her arrival, she took all the warmth and noise with her. Erik laid awake late into the night in his cold, cold apartment doing a lot of math. Making enough food for the two of them to share meant a good five hours of Ruby’s company. More if she’d napped before coming over.

All he had to do was go back to his mother’s recipes the way she’d written them: enough for a family of four or more.

Four days without Ruby made Erik regret getting marble floors. The shit was cold as fuck unless he left the heat on all night and who had the money to do that. Plus they were expensive as shit and stained so fucking easily. The last time Bradford and his boys had come over, they’d scuffed a square of white marble with their knockoff Nike’s.

Maybe he could talk her into buying him a rug. Erik was sure he could trust her not to give him something weird or trendy. He needed a simple rug. Something black to hide stains, but it couldn’t be boring.

You know, he should probably bring this up to her right now. Ruby was only five months but the books said someone with her body type could induce early. She might get on bedrest with how much she was complaining about walking lately. 

If Erik waited too long she’d wouldn't be able to go rug shopping until the baby was born. And who knew if she'd still have the patience for him then. It was really important to him that he took her rug shopping.

It seemed like something she’d like.

Erik found himself at his door before he could think about what he was doing. _Why was he going to her_? They didn’t need to talk every day just because they’d talked every day for weeks.

Light flickered across the peephole. Erik looked through it immediately his eyes were immediately drawn to her door.

Someone _was _in the hallway between their doors but it wasn’t Ruby. Not unless Ruby was a white man built like a brick shit house. He wasn’t taller than Erik but he was wider, bulkier and Erik wasn’t a petite motherfucker.__

____

____

Whoever he was, he was here to see Ruby.

Yet again, Erik’s body moved without his permission and he realized what he'd done on the other side of his door. He stared down the white man, studying him with the eyes of a former soldier. Erik could take him in a fight, easy. With that established, Erik relaxed his posture and leaned against his doorframe.

The white man grew uncomfortable with Erik’s staring almost immediately. And it was just his luck that Ruby was taking her sweet time opening the door. She did that sometimes. Erik knew Ruby had so much going on in her head that she’d forget to open it before leaving the living room. He’d seen it in action.

This white man didn’t know that. He kept scowling at her door and shooting Erik, “We’re all friends” here smiles in equal measure.

“You should probably knock again. If she was napping she won’t have heard the sound.” Erik suggested the most helpful version of his blank voice.

Relief flashed over the white man's face and he opened his mouth to apologize.

“No need to thank me, man, knock on the fucking door.” Erik purposely took his eyes off him, like he couldn’t care less either way. He could hear the sound of the white man fuming. He was really obvious about it. A lot of shuffling and mumbled accented cursing, then he finally knocked again.

Erik turned back to watch the white man, trying to pick out what parts of him would appeal to a woman like Ruby. He couldn’t imagine pregnancy to have changed her all that much. So the image of the Ruby he knew and this man before him did not fucking compute.

He had a face with features like carved rock and a serious frown to his face as he waited. His jaw was obnoxiously angular. Erik found a lot of pleasure imagining dislocating it with his bare hands.

What can he say, you could take the man out of Special Ops…

Eventually Ruby opened the door. Erik perked up from his slouch to get a better look at her. All thoughts of violence against her baby's father forgotten. 

_Was it him or did Ruby look sad_? As she stepped into view Erik drank in the sight of her. He felt like he’d missed a million and one things about her, or maybe he was getting used to her constant monologuing.

“Ruby, darling I-”

The sharp sound of skin on skin cracked through the air. Ruby looked stunned. Erik felt shocked himself. Oliver held his cheek and stared at her in shock.

“You may come inside and you may have the tea I prepared but you may _not_ speak until I’ve said my peace.”

“Ruby,” the white man cajoled, “You can’t expect me to-”

“Not! Another! Word!” a banshee shrieked from Ruby's mouth.

The sound coming out of Ruby could not belong to Ruby. Erik refused to believe it. It didn’t matter that he’d seen her say the words, the way she clenched her fists with the force of her emotion. Both men waited for what she'd do next, stunned silent and obedient at once. 

Wordlessly, Ruby gestured the white man inside the house. He stepped inside without comment.

Erik watched her gather herself together, wishing for something he couldn’t name. When they locked eyes he expected to see that sad look that was becoming way too familiar to him. Instead, she smiled and waved to him from her doorway.

“Hello, Erik.”


	11. 22 Weeks With Support

Erik looked good and Ruby wished she could sit and admire how good he looked instead of dealing with Ruth… and Oliver. Just thinking of those two soured her mood. She couldn’t leave them alone for long, but it’d been days since she’d last seen Erik. She wondered if he’d solved his work problem. She hadn’t smelled anything from his apartment so he was eating out a lot. Again. Was he stressed?

“Are you all good over there?” He nodded towards Ruby’s apartment, his brow furrowed and dark brown eyes serious.

Ruby forced a smile, “I’m getting to something I should have handled a long time ago it seems. Nothing you should worry about.” Ruby rubbed her belly and looked at her feet, “I should go. Ruth’s in there and I was only able to find five of at least seven of the weapons I know she’s hidden around my apartment and Olly’s…”

_God why had she called him that!_

Ruby hadn’t thought of Oliver as Olly in so long, it was hard to think fondly of him after his cruel dismissal of their child, and her. As the other woman, she had no right to be mad at him. Oliver and Moira could have as many geriatric babies as they wanted…

Ruby sighed. _No, that was too far. Moira was innocent in this._

“You’re not making me feel better Rue.” Erik chuckled. He pushed his hands in his pockets and looked around the hallway, “Look I’m not trying to insert myself in your business. But I want you to know I got your back in case ya boy in there gets out of pocket.”

Ruby’s smile was big and genuine when it flashed across her face, “Are you offering to be my backup?”

“Whatever you need. I don’t want you to think you're alone here.” Erik grinned and met her eyes when he said, “I heard ya sister likes to throw hands so I know she got you covered there.”

Ruby laughed for the first time in days and shook her head at his words. He was joking, but there was a lot of sincerity in his tone. Ruby knew, without a doubt, Erik would be there for her if she needed him.

Ruth’s support was unconditional and expected, but Erik’s had been earned. He trusted her. He had to if he was willing to insert himself in a situation to protect her from Oliver.

Ruby wanted to comment on the moment. She couldn’t not point out how standoffish he’d been when they first met. The sound of her sister and Oliver yelling from inside her apartment snapped her out of the moment.

“I might need to cash in that offer a little sooner than expected if you don’t mind. I have a lot of questions I need Oliver to answer and the last boy who broke my heart had his jaw broken.”

Erik shut and locked his door behind him and sped across the hallway to Ruby’s door, “Ruth broke a dude’s jaw?” he asked as he passed in front of her into the apartment.

Ruby followed after him. She made a noise that could mean anything between yes and you couldn’t pin it on her if she did and who knows? Ruby had decided to never look into it. It was better that way.

Ruby turned into Erik after shutting the door and stuttered to a stop with her hands on her belly, “What?”

“Would you lock the door? You live in Downtown Los Angeles, not the suburbs? Do you wanna get robbed?”

Ruby shook her head at him completely confused by his intensity, “We have a doorman?”

Erik scoffed. He and leaned around her surrounding her with the masculine scent of his cologne.

“You think that will stop someone from coming up here and robbing you blind?” the lock clicked behind her and then Erik carefully placed himself back in front of her.

He raised a finger and pointed it at her, “Always lock the door, you don’t know who could walk in here.”

Ruby smirked. Pointing was rude, but she appreciated the sentiment behind his overreaction.

“Well, how would you get in?” Ruby asked. Every time he’d come to her rescue her door had been wide open or unlocked. He always complained and locked the door behind him when he came in and left.

Erik looked stumped. His dark eyes studied her for all of two seconds. That’s all the time they had before the sound of porcelain against concrete filled the room.

Ruby flinched reflexively. Erik cursed and stomped into the room. Ruby followed close behind, using his bulky, muscular body as a shield.

She didn’t know what she expected to see when they reached the living room. Oliver cowering behind her couch and Ruth raising hell with a box of knick-knacks was not it.

“Remember this motherfucker! Huh!” Ruth panted, tears running down her face. A porcelain pig in hand. Something Ruth remembered seeing during a trip to Tokyo. They’d been on a quest to try as much street food as possible (Ruth’s idea). The inspiration led to Oliver’s restaurant receiving its third Michelin star.

Erik caught the pig midair, palming it like a football and tucking it into his side, “Hey!” he barked, “Cut it! The fuck! Out! Do you want to trash your sister’s apartment? Do you want to scare a pregnant woman into labor?”

Ruth glared at him but didn’t move to throw anything else. She panted where she stood, shaking with a rage Ruby had never seen before. Studying her sister, Ruby took a step away from Erik to look at the porcelain pig.

Movement across the room drew her eyes to Oliver, still cowering behind her couch. Only the curly top of his head was visible, that and wide blue eyes. With a sigh, Ruby shook her head.

“Oh, you greedy fucking fool.”

Erik’s head snapped away from Ruth to Ruby. With a jerk he was in front of her again, blocking her from both Ruth and Oliver, “Fuck you talkin’, ‘bout Ruby?”

Ruby swallowed around the lump in her throat. Her pain had no place here. Looking over at her sister she asked the question with her eyes, _Did you?_

Ruth nodded once. Ruby nodded back. Ruth bit her lip, worry etched across her brow. Ruby shook her head. Patting Erik’s back she took careful steps around broken pottery and trinkets until she could pull her sister into her arms.

“I could never be mad at you for something like this. How could you think that?”

“Dog…”Erik sounded disgusted behind them. 

Ruby ignored him in favor of squeezing her sister closer. Ruth fell apart forreal in her arms, sobbing into her neck the way she had when they were kids. Before she’d learn to turn her hurt and sadness and loss into anger.

“Are you fucking forreal?” The sound of Oliver whimpering drew Ruby’s attention to that side of the room.

Erik had Oliver, big strong Oliver, gripped by the back of his neck like a misbehaving kitten. The hand not holding him in place was already cocked back. Ruth’s brass fluffy pink brass knuckles were clutched in his fist.

“Erik!” Ruby snapped.

He froze in place.

Sweetly, “I’m flattered at the offer but I need to be able to talk to him. I need to handle this, finally.”

Erik’s finger’s flexed around the brass knuckles and he had a wild look in his dark eyes.

“Are you sure y-” 

Oliver began scrambling for purchase on the ground. Struggling against Erik’s hold to rise to his feet.

Quick as lightning, Erik’s fist struck out and hit Oliver in the thigh sending him stumbling back to the ground. Before Ruby could say anything he moved again, striking Oliver in the other thigh.

Oliver dropped to the ground with a curse and groan.

“Is this why you fucking called me here?” he roared. Erik’s fist reared back again. Oliver flinched.

Ruby sighed, “No, I swear. I wanted to have an honest conversation with you for once in the entire time I’ve known you. But you’ve managed to piss off every person in this room and we can barely stop ourselves from hurting you.”

Looking at Erik Ruby made her tone firm, “Could you please let him go. I don’t think He’d be willing to talk to me with you holding onto him like that.”

Erik’s jaw clenched, and he didn’t look one bit into the idea of letting Oliver out of his grip. With a jerk, he released Oliver and sent him falling to the hardwood floor with a groan.

Erik flexed his fingers and his eyes swept the room, “I’m going to get some water,” he looked at Ruby, “Would you like some water?”

Ruby smiled, “Yes I would thank you.”

Erik carefully stepped out of the room, flexing his hands the whole way. Once he was hidden in the kitchen Ruby met Oliver’s gaze head-on.

“Please sit down. We have a lot to discuss and a legal document I need you to sign.”

Oliver’s eye quirked up and he glared at her, “Why would I do anything for you after everything that’s happened to me here? I show up and you fucking slap me, your sister goes fucking nuts-”

“Are you implying that you did nothing to earn these reactions from us?” Ruby snapped. Her eyes dared him to deny anything. He’d disrespect her for so long and she wanted him to look her in the eye and do it again.

Oliver’s jaw clenched and he looked away from her. After a long moment of silence, he walked from his pathetic spot behind the couch and sat on it without comment.

* * *

“I told you I couldn’t afford to have another child! Moira owns every bloody restaurant I’ve ever opened. Her father invested in the first one in London as a wedding present. When that succeeded we started another with him as a major investor.” Oliver wiped his hands on his dark jeans and stared down at nothing.

He wouldn’t meet any of the three pairs of eyes focused on him from the other couch. Ruth on the left, Erik on the right, Ruby squished in the middle. They’d insisted on the seating arrangement and Ruby hadn’t thought it worth it to argue with either of them.

“Then the recession hit the restaurant industry hard. The tv shows picked up and that kind of made up for it. But when he died her father transferred his shares over to her in the blasted will.” Oliver met her eyes, the blue depths tortured and sincere, “I fell in love with you. But knew if I ever left my wife she’d take my restaurants, the houses, the cars…. All of it would go with her.”

“The fuck?” Erik scoffed, “Love? You fell in love with her and then you fucked her sister?”

Ruby sighed, “Erik please, you promised,”

“What I can’t point out the known fact that he fucked you, his wife, _and_ Ruth. Are we all forgetting-”

“We get it, nigga, let’s move on.” Ruth drawled from Ruby’s other side.

Ruby sighed.

Erik smacked his teeth, “Okay but I wasn’t even talking to you, so…”

“ _‘I wasn’t even talking to you’_ ,” Ruth mimicked.

“Guys I will ask you both to wait in the kitchen if you can’t behave.”

Silence from both ends of the couch.

Ruby nodded for Oliver to continue.

“So you’ve started your affair with me but realize you can’t leave her because she’d take your restaurants. Then I got pregnant. A baby was proof you’d cheated so if Moira rightly decided to leave you, you’d lose everything anyway.”

Looking at his feet, Oliver said what she’d known he’d wanted to all along, “I never expected you to keep it.”

The pain, when it hit, was dull. Ruby had known he was selfish, had seen first hand how he treated the ones he loved. Yet this…

Nodding, Ruby tapped the document on the table between them, “I want you to officially give up parental rights.”

Four pairs of eyes turned on her. Ruby focused on the mustard yellow folder.  
“I’ve given some thought to it. We can't work together anymore. You’ve tangled your professional and personal life in a way that could come back to hurt me one day. I will let the lawyers handle our businesses, sell me shares if that’s what it takes to buy out.”

Ruth touched Ruby’s arm, “Hey… are you sure?”

“But I wanted to do this in person. I thought it best I did not cause Moira any more pain than I already have.”

Oliver sighed, “Ruby I-”

“You’ll sign this or I Moira everything.” Ruby cut him off with a glare. She was done with him. She didn’t want to hear his voice or see his stupid face any longer. “Sign the document and let's move on with our lives, finally.”

Oliver signed with a flourish, Ruby promised to have it scanned and discreetly send him a copy. Then she told him to never contact her again. Ruth and Erik made sure he found his way out. 

Ruby settled on her oonjal and tuned out the rest of the world. At that moment, all she cared about was catching up on all the missed sleep. Soon enough, Oliver found his way to his car more or less in one piece. The soothing rocking of her swing had Ruby floating without care into dreamland.

She was free from Oliver. She was free from the stupidity of her youth. Whether she’d wanted a father for her child or not, Ruby knew that man could not be him. The next time she dated, if she dated again, she would find a man worthy of her and her child. Oliver had never been that, it had taken Ruby this long to realize that. But better she realize that now, when her child was still all hers to protect, than when Oliver had a chance to hurt them too.

That was something Ruby could never allow.


	12. 22 Weeks & Two For One

Erik and Ruby stood on the sidewalk in front of Erik's building, watching as Oliver peeled out of the parking lot. He'd returned the brass knuckles to their rightful owner and aside from that he and Ruth didn't speak.

Oliver was a child piece of work. He'd heard of deadbeat dads but Oliver had to be the biggest deadbeat and dumbass Erik had ever met. How'd you cheat on your wife with your business partner and then cheat on both with the twin sister?

Who had the balls?

"C'mon, let's go get cleaned up." He gestured at where Oliver's blood had splashed them after his first "trip" down the stairs.

Ruth glared at him, her pretty mouth twisted to say something foul. Erik cut her off at the quick, he wasn't in the mood to argue.

"Look you can come clean up with me or explain to your sister how'd you end up fucking her baby daddy?"

Ruth scowled, but when Erik turned to start back up to his apartment she followed.

They made it up two flights of stairs in total silence. Erik broke before they reached the third floor, "So did you _know_ the man you were fucking was also fucking your sister _or_..."

"Shut the fuck up!" Ruth snapped, "Does it matter?"

Erik cocked an eyebrow at Ruth's tone, "I just think it's gross as hell if you knew and went along with it anyway."

Ruth sighed and said nothing. The rest of the walk upstairs was silent. When they reached his apartment he fit his key in the lock.

"Don't touch nothin' in here," he said sternly.

"What am I five, nigga? Let me in or don't but I don't got time for your fucking games,"

It was then that Erik noticed the looks she threw at Ruby's door. Guilt filled her face. She and Ruby may be twins but Ruth was the much easier to read of the two. She wore her emotions like a mask, each one visible if you looked hard enough.

"Hey," Erik's gruff voice went soft. Ruth met his eyes, defiance, and fire burning under the guilt and hurt. Her mouth twisted like she had something smart to say so Erik spoke up before she could ruin his impulse to be kind.

"She don't care about that, you know?"

"The fuck are you talking about? Are you gonna open the door or are we gonna sit in this hallway all goddamned day?"

Ignoring her, he opened the door, "Ruby doesn't care about you and Oliver fucking around. I can see you stressin' about it."

"Oh and I should listen to you, Random Nigga Next Door? You know my sister so well, don't you? Did I ask for your input..."

Ruby's taunting followed him into the apartment, down the hall to the bathroom, and didn't let up as he searched his cabinets for a first aid kit. Like her sister, Ruth had a knack for going on and on. 

She didn't stop for air until Erik slapped a bottle of disinfectant in her hands.

"I don't know your sister the way you do, but I understand her. And from my understanding, Ruby loves you more than anything. This is nothing."

Ruth's jaw worked as she considered his words. Unwilling to fall into a touching moment, Erik excused himself to find another first aid kit. He'd said his piece and that was that.

They cleaned themselves on opposite sides of the apartment, washing away all evidence of their scuffle with Oliver on the way out. In Erik's opinion, they hadn't done enough, but rich people liked to sue you for every little thing.

Ruth found Erik in the living room, beer in one hand while the other clutched a damp rag. His eyes were focused on the tv though he'd heard Ruth's approach. Erik would let her speak first this time. She had one more, "Shut the fuck up," in her before he snapped and forgot who she was.

It was better for them both if she spoke first.

"Thanks...or whatever," Ruth mumbled from behind the couch.

Erik didn't turn to look at her when he nodded, "No problem. I did it to help your sister,"

Ruth huffed, "Okay but why? You don't know us?"

Erik turned to meet her gaze over the back of the couch, "In your case, you should be lucky I helped at all. But I couldn't leave Ruby hangin' like that."

Ruth tried to search his eyes then. Erik let her look her fill, unconcerned with what she might find. 

"So you did all this for my sister?" Ruth asked again. 

Erik rolled his eyes, "Shouldn't you go back at some point?"

"Nah uh, now," Ruth rushed around the couch and plopped down next to him, "We're gonna talk about this."

Erik rolled his eyes, "Alright you wanna talk about me let's talk about you. What the fuck is up with Oliver?"

Ruth scowled at him, he pointed at her face and laughed, "Yeah you don't like it when it's turned around on you huh?"

"What happened between me and Oliver had been a one time mistake. _Before_ , Ruby was pregnant," she looked out the window and get voice got quiet, "My girl and I had just started fighting all the time so we decided to take a break."

When she met Erik's eyes most of the emotion had been packed away, "I was tired of not having sex. Oliver was safe and he was there and it was mediocre but it was something."

Erik nodded. That made sense. He'd fucked tones of people he neither liked nor wanted to see again. He could see Ruth being in the same boat. 

"So why didn't you tell Ruby? Don't you think she'd want to know her sister fucked her boss?"

Ruth sighed, "It's hard to keep things from Ruby. Since we were kids she's been the most forgiving, understanding person I know. But I don't think I've ever seen her allow herself to be angry or hurt when someone did something to her."

"So you didn't want to find out what it felt like to disappoint or hurt her…" Erik shook his head, it was the cowards way out but he understood it.

As a child, Erik's father never hit or raised his voice at him. N'Jobu preferred to talk, to teach Erik why what he'd done was bad or wrong. He never punished Erik unfairly, when he did punish him. Over time Erik grew to fear ever disappointing his father. This fear led him to do some pretty stupid things that ended up getting him in more trouble than just coming to his father in the first place would have.

"Look I ain't bring you over here to lecture you. I thought you might need time to calm down before you went over there. Couldn't have you feeling backed into a corner and lashing out at her."

"What are you her protector now?" The words came out carelessly like a joke. But without even looking at her Erik could sense Ruth's eyes on him. Studying him.

Unfortunately for her, he had a way better poker face. He schooled his features into a blank mask and stood from the couch.

"You should get back over there. Y'all got a lot to talk about."

Ruth's cackles followed him from the living room to the kitchen, "Oh I get it,"

"You don't get shit," Erik drawled. He rinsed his beer bottle and then tossed it in the recycling.

"No I get it," Ruth hopped off the couch, a sudden pep in her step as she made her way across the room.

"Get the fuck out my house," Erik pointed at the door but there was no heat in his tone. 

Ruth stopped at the door to shoot him a smile and an exaggerated wink, "Your secrets safe with me, _E-man_."

Ignoring her words completely Erik pointed at his door with the beer bottle, "Lock the door behind you,"

Ruth left, cackling all the while. Erik didn't know whether to be happy he'd succeeded in calming her down after getting rid of Oliver or worried that she'd assume they were friends after this encounter.

It was one thing to be friends with Ruby, he didn't sign on to take the twin too.


	13. 22 Weeks Confessions, Reconciliations, and Gas

Neither Ruby nor Ruth brought up what happened with Oliver when Ruth came back from Erik's. Ruth tried, after keeping this secret inside of her for so long she was dying to share it with her sister. Ruby wouldn't let her. Instead, she insisted they share a meal and go over the rest of her Name Reveal plans.

Ruth tried to apologize and Ruby asked her about invitations, decorations, libations... Any and everything to shift the topic away from Oliver. After five minutes of trying to get the words out and Ruby, sweetly, deftly, sidestepping her attempts Ruth resigned herself to talking about the Name Reveal.

Ruby was altogether an easy-going woman. She'd been an easy-going child too, not at all fussy or spoiled. But she could be as stubborn as their grandfather had been. Once Ruby reached that point there was no turning back.

After their meal, Ruth jumped up to do the cleanup, though she needn't have bothered. Getting up from the table was a five to ten-minute affair for Ruby these days. Ruth didn't know what to do with herself when she finished putting the food away. She washed the dishes and wiped down the counters. She caught herself scrubbing at the eye of the stove and decided that it was now or never to confront Ruby. Ruth needed to face the music.

Ruby had made her way over to her oonjal and now swung with her eyes on the view. 

_So that's where they'd handle this then? Fine._ Steeling herself, Ruth walked without hesitation to the swing. Ruby's eyes didn't shift from her view when Ruth arrived at her side. She didn't acknowledge her sister at all. Just swung back and forth with her hands on her belly and a distant look in her eyes.

Without her sister's eyes on her Ruth stared at her twin. Though their face remained identical, pregnancy had given Ruby a new light and peace. When Ruby was like this, a fertility figure in her drapey tunics and dresses, Ruth saw a different side of her twin.

At the same time, the pregnant woman in front of her had hidden in closets and under beds with her. She skinned her knee jumping off the roof of their neighbor's garage because Ruth was too scared to do it on her own. Ruth was questioning her sexuality Ruby gave her the unconditional love and support every gay teen wishes they had when they were twelve.

Time after time Ruby had been there for Ruth. Holding her hand, helping her through whatever whether she was right next to her or a world away.

And Ruth had been dumb enough to sleep with her boss!

The fact that the sex hadn't happened during Ruby's affair offered minuscule comfort. It didn't change the fact that Ruth shouldn'tve done it. If she'd been looking for sex she could have found anyone. Lord knew men were easy to get into bed. She didn't _have_ to sleep with Oliver, Ruth chose to.

"Everything go okay with Erik?" Ruby broke the silence between them.

"Yeah, he had first aid and shit so…" Ruth trailed off. The topic of conversation felt wrong after the long, dramatic day they’d had. She didn’t understand how Rub wasn’t slumped over right now.

With a soft smile, she didn’t even realize was on her face, Ruby said, “He was in the military you know? Always has to be prepared.”

Rolling her eyes Ruth allowed herself to sit next to her sister on the swing. Ruby hadn’t told her she wanted space. Ruth needed to sit down if her whole conversation would be filled with Ruby mooning over Erik. They were so gone over each other it was ridiculous. Somehow they both insisted they were friends. Neither seemed aware of how sweet on each other they were.

_Fucking, heteros!_

Ruth could be on apps, go out every weekend, and find maybe one girl she felt like dating. Of course, once she found that one she usually dated them for two to three years but that's beside the point. Moving to a new apartment building and falling in love with your hot, crazy neighbor did not happen to bisexuals. Cause lets be clear, no one sane could find where Ruth put her brass knuckles.

“I think today's meeting went well,” Ruby said suddenly, breaking Ruth out of her thoughts.

She shot her sister a disbelieving look, “Really?”

Ruby looked down at her belly and fought off laughter. “Well, better than the worst possible scenario. So still good.”

Ruth couldn’t help it when she heard that: she laughed. She laughed so hard it shook the swing and made Ruby look at her for the first time since she’d come back from Erik’s house. Her brown eyes were filled with that sparkle she got when she thought she was being funny. Which sent Ruth into another fit of laughter.

That was her sister, able to see the bright side in any situation.

Laughter died in Ruth’s throat, “I’m sorry,” she blurted. Ruby’s face slackened.

“For what?”

Ruth’s face cracked. This woman!

“For what? Bitch-oop! I mean-” Ruth cut herself off and sighed. “I mean,” she said slowly and calmly, “I’m sorry I fucking slept with Oliver. It was a stupid, selfish thing to do and no I didn’t know about you and him, it happened way before you and him.” Ruth swallowed around a dry tongue.

Looking at the hands on the dark polished wood of the swing, Ruth found it easier to continue, “I was jealous. None of us thought the first show would take off. We all joked about you fucking off with the network's money to travel the world and eat whatever you want. Then it became more than that.”

It became a book, a book tour, a restaurant, a press tour for the show, the book, and the restaurant. Ruth meanwhile was grinding her way up the corporate ladder. It was event planning sure. But Ruth had been one of three black women on a staff of 200 and had felt invisible and overworked at work and home.

By then it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Ruby had a crush on Oliver. She hung off the man's every word, something Ruth now blamed on her being so young when he took her under his wing. Ruby idolized Oliver and she adored his kids but most of all she romanticized his marriage to Moira. Ruth would have never thought in a million years that she’d cross that line with him.

Ruth hadn’t cared. 

“Did you do it to hurt me?” Ruby’s voice was inquisitive, the question devoid of all the emotions you’d expect.

Ruth shook her head, “No. It was about you, a little but it was more about the fact that I could. I was being stupid and young. Instead of talking out my feelings. Or fucking breaking up with the girl I fucked someone I shouldn’t have to prove to myself that I could.”

It wasn’t a redeeming explanation, but it was honest. Ruth had only lied to Ruby once, and now that that was out in the open she didn’t plan on doing it ever again.

“So you fucked Oliver,” Ruby finished.

“So I fucked Oliver,” Ruth echoed.

They both nodded and let the idea settle with both of them.

“Was it good at least?” Ruby cocked her head and rubbed her belly.

Ruth snorted, “I hardly remember. I was drunk off that Irish whiskey he was sponsoring.” perking up she pointed at her sister, “Wait! I do remember doing all the work.”

Ruby scrunched her nose, “Yeah he’s lazy. You’d think with all the muscles…”

“Yeah the muscles! Are those just for show then?” An idea occurred to her, “Do you think he got implants?”

Ruby shook her head, “Oh no that’s all his. When he was a boy he had access to a lot of unhealthy foods and parents who worked until late. It wasn’t until his late teens that he got into working out and built up all that muscle.”

Both sisters nodded and stared out into space.

“Thank you,” Ruby said before the silence went on any longer.

Ruth blinked at her, confused.

Smiling, Ruby reached out and tangled their finger together, “Thank you for apologizing. And thank you for doing it because you’re selfish and not because you want to hurt me.”

Staring at her Ruth asked, “Does that make it better?”

Dimpling, Ruby nodded, “You’re my sister. We’re going to mess up and hurt each other sometimes. There’s nothing we can’t work past together. And you didn’t do anything unforgivable.”

Ruth fought off tears and tried to follow her sister's lead with a smile. But it was hard to smile around the urge to sob with relief. She’d held a lot of guilt over her mediocre moment with Oliver. 

Ruby was her everything. The thought of losing her sister over a moment she couldn’t care less about. A _man_ she couldn’t care less about was too much for Ruth to handle.

Sensing the rush of emotion Ruth was struggling with, Ruby pulled her sister into her arms. She held her close as the sobs finally took over and rocked her body. Ruby smiled and kissed her sister's forehead and hummed the way their mom would when they were crying.

Ruth let out years of pent up emotion in that hug. After a day of yelling and crying preceding it felt drained. When her tears finally ran out Ruth felt like she’d float away if Ruby ever let her go. Ruby’s grip never faltered, her voice almost hypnotic as it hummed a familiar tune on a near loop for her.

“You hug just like mom, Rue,” Ruth sniffed. “MB is so lucky to get a lifetime of mom’s hugs from you.” Ruby smiled and shrugged, “Mom always had candy though. And I don’t have any chocolate kisses in my purse, sorry.”

Ruth wiped at her cheeks and sat up, pulling herself out of Ruby’s embrace. The world felt a little too raw without the security of her twin's arms but Ruth could bear it.

“But I do have cupcake samples from Melissa and Sandra. Wanna split them and watch romcoms until we cheer up?”

Smiling Ruth bounced to her feet. As she helped Ruby to her feet she said, “Fire up the first Bridget Jones and I’ll get the cupcakes and milk.”

“Milk gives me gas,” Ruby halfheartedly complained.

“Girl, that baby gives you gas. You know you can’t eat cake without milk.” No complaints from Ruby this time.

The sisters parted ways reluctantly to get to their respective tasks. The air between them felt light despite the heavy day. If it wasn’t for the residual guilt that would probably never leave, Ruth would say things were back to normal.

But that was just Ruby. Ruby and her incredible capacity to love and forgive. Her sister had no doubt already moved on. As far as she was concerned the matter had been solved by Oliver signing over his parental rights. Officially freeing himself from the child he never wanted. The bastard.

“They don’t have Bridget Jones but they _do_ have Romeo + Juliet!” Ruby called from the living room. Ruth smiled as she snagged cupcakes, the carton of milk, and two mugs on her way back to her twin.

“Queue it up!”


	14. 24 Weeks Name Reveal Part One

Ruby floats around the intimate tea room Ruth rented for her reveal on a cloud of blue, purple, and pink ombre silk. Ruth had gone all out on Ruby’s vague request for “gender-neutral but not colorless.” You couldn’t call anything about this Name Reveal “colorless”. Even Lisa Frank would say Ruth should have toned it back.

Ruby couldn’t be happier.

Picking the venue had been strategic. Nicky had Ruby’s best interests at heart but every family event didn’t need to be a networking attempt. It was bad enough she’d pulled the tacky move of inviting someone not on the guest list. Ruth had to adapt. The tea room wouldn’t fit more than fifty people comfortably. While backing Nicky down on all her generous invites Ruth had pulled rank. Distant cousins they hadn’t seen since the funeral were suddenly being called up to fill tables.

All in all, Nicky insisted two network execs, Oliver and his wife remain on the guest list. Ruth hadn’t known how to refuse. Oliver hadn’t pressed charges. That didn’t mean he wasn’t holding a grudge against them for beating his ass. Plus, Ruby wasn’t publicly claiming him as her baby’s father and she wasn’t admitting to them falling out.

If Ruth said anything it would stir up even more mess and that would lead to stress. Ruby was huge, her midwife was floating the idea of putting her on bed rest at any day now. It was too vulnerable a moment to kick up a fuss if her agent insisted on inviting them. Ruby hadn’t seemed bothered when Ruth told her at least, but it could be hard to tell with her.

“Oh, Erik look at the balloons! Erik look, look there’s a carousel! Like on my vision board.” At this Ruth drops Erik’s hands and squeezes her sister into a hug. They’d arrived at the venue about ten minutes ago and Ruby hadn’t stopped gushing since. 

Ruth was still in planner mode and allowed Erik to set the pace of their tour around the venue. The last two hours before an events were crucial setup time and _nothing_ was where it should be. If Ruby wasn’t around she’d be raising hell with her staff. To keep her temper in check she settled for tapping her watch at everyone who passed by with a table setting.

Erik looked around the room and shared a look with Ruth over the top of Ruby’s head, The place looked weird as hell. To be fair. It was a rococo pastel nightmare and Ruby was twirling as much as she could at her size with glee. There was even a gaudy, pastel throne chair for Ruby to sit on during the baby shower. Each table had a mini tea party setup as an appetizer before the first course was brought out. The menu was strictly brunch items, a Ruth trick into tricking guests to leave before the sunsets.

All in all, if you were a five-year-old aspiring ballerina you’d love the place. If you were a bunch of professionals in their thirties? It was very weird.

It’s was Ruby wanted. Pretty little cupcakes and sandwiches like they were hosting Marie Antoinette or something. Ruth’s instinct had been to go the way of their ancestors...or at least the women at their grandmother’s church. Fried chicken wings and spaghetti. With enough red velvet, chocolate, and “yellow” bundt cake for seconds.

But Ruth had been ruined by culinary school and her travels. She knew exactly how she wanted things to taste and look. Ruby never made a fuss or complained when she didn’t get what she wanted. It still killed Ruth not to meet her sister’s expectations.

Ruby wasn’t having this baby under the best of circumstances and Ruth couldn’t control that. But she could at least make her sister’s pregnancy easier and happier.

“Hey Erik, help me set up the baby games.” Ruth peeled Ruby off of her and hurriedly blurted out her rehearsed line to Erik.

As far as Ruth knew, the handholding was new. Erik looked just as baffled by it as Ruth, yet he hadn’t pulled his hand away once.

“Oh does he have to? There’s still so much to see!” Ruby looked around the room with the same gleam she had in her eye when their grandfather bought her an easy bake oven at seven.

Erik, in his grown man polo and slacks, gravitated towards Ruby, and by default Ruth. “Ain’t you still givin’ Sandra directions? Maybe you should go out on the curb so she knows where we are.”

As if the pink, purple, and blue balloons weren’t a beacon to everyone in a two-block radius. Ruby either didn’t remember the large balloons or took everything Erik said at face value. Either way, she checked her phone and strutted out of the tea room, her cute ( huge) baby bump leading the way.

Erik and Ruth waited until Ruby was out of earshot before turning to each other.

“Okay I’ve worked it out with the venue and the seating charts are simple. Her fake ass tv chef friends are over here in the corner with the network goons. Childhood friends and kinda distant cousins are on this table here-”

“And where’s Ruby in all this,” Erik interrupted, not impolitely. He focused on the blueprint of the tea room Ruth kept pulled up on her tablet at all times. Initially, her plan had been to hire a bunch of scary-looking security guys to keep the rowdy rich people in line. But Erik was better than a couple of tough looking people.

The man was a walking billboard for, “I’ve killed someone, likely with my bare hands.” Ruth noticed it when they first met. When Ruby explained he’d been in the military everything she’d assumed about him clicked into place.

If Erik couldn’t keep the troublemakers in line then no one could. And no one wanted Ruby to do it.

“She’s here at the center table with us. I purposely kept it small and away from all the tables an equal amount to keep egos in check.”

Erik nodded, studying the map and assessing her words with a seriousness one would expect from a covert opp, not a glorified baby shower.

“Guestlist?”

“It was supposed to be small but because of her agent I had to pad the numbers for comfort.” At Erik’s confused glance Ruth rolled her eyes and flipped to the guest list. Pointing at names Ruth continued.

“Ruby wanted the reveal to be family and close friends only, but that would have been like six people at a stretch. Then her agent went and invited the network people, the people from the show, _and_ the people from their various restaurants to the Reveal.” Ruth couldn’t quite mask her annoyance at the other woman’s actions.

“Luckily I had my granddaddy’s old phonebook so I called up distant relatives to fill tables.” Ruth glanced at him to make sure he was following along and she caught what looked like grudging respect flash across his face.

“Smart,” His eyes roamed around the room before flicking back to the blueprint and seating chart. “So the coworkers will start in with the baby daddy talk-”

“Which we _can’t_ have because for some reason Moira and Oliver are still coming.” they pause in their rapid-fire back and forth to share a mutual look of disgust.

“So they need to be corralled away from Ruby,” Erik concluded. Switching back and forth from the floor plan and the guestlist for a minute, he finally asked, “Any addicts?”

“Cigarettes, all of them. Kurt is becoming an alcoholic and I don’t think I’ve seen Rocky sober since she could afford a weed rec.”

Erik looked at her blankly, “You’re saying these names like they mean something to me.”

Rolling her eyes, Ruth gestured back at the charts, “Yes, motherfucker they’re chefs _, of course,_ they’re addicts.”

Rolling his eyes Erik pointed at the seating chart. “Move the smokers the drinkers farther away from their ices. They’ll linger more if the trek from their seat to their destination seems too inconvenient. Should keep them occupied until Ruby’s tied up opening gifts and judging the baby games.”

Ruth nods, his plan is solid. That takes care of the people who’d start drama to entertain themselves. Now they had to place Moira and Oliver. When Ruth asked him about it Erik waved off her concern.

“Don’t worry about them. Focus on making this the best fuckin’ baby whatever for Ruby.”

Giving him a stern look, Ruth tentatively held her hand out, “I’m counting on you, Stevens. I wouldn’t trust anyone with something this important.”

Scoffing, Erik slapped her hand away. He picked up a box filled with bamboo paper plates, straws, and utensils.

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up before Ruby figures out how to give directions.”

Ruth grabs the box he left behind and starts circling the tables, “We have nothing to worry about there. That girl really has no sense of direction. I’d be worried for her if she couldn't charm a snake out of its skin.”

Erik chuckled but said nothing, they worked for some time in complete silence. Ruby returned with the first guest and the two separated to their places for the event. Ruth would be behind the scenes running point, and Erik would stick close to Ruby to keep an eye on the floor.

Erik took his place next to her sister to be introduced to her friend. Ruth said a silent prayer to their ancestors. There was little Ruth wouldn’t do to make this day perfect for Ruby. Trusting Erik was already stretching her to her limits, but Ruby trusted Erik for some reason. It was time for him to prove to Ruth why he was worth it.

Plus having a backup in case she needs to beat Oliver’s ass again made Ruth feel confident. She plugged in her earpiece and signaling her team to start the event.

* * *

Erik hadn’t been to many baby showers or Name Reveals in his life. Growing up without cousins or aunts meant a long lonely life. He was never one for group sports though he could play basketball as well as any other black man from the hood. During his time in college, he’d steered cleared of pregnant women and hadn’t seen many during his time in the Navy.

Even as a civilian Erik couldn’t count on one hand the number of baby showers, let alone Name Reveals he’d ever been to.

This gap in his knowledge and experience led him to wonder if he was missing something. Name Reveals were relatively new. Erik knew through his research that Gender Reveals was way more popular. No amount of research could prepare him for the real thing.

Everyone invited had been given a slip of paper to guess possible baby names. Those closest would win a sou vide. Erik didn’t see the value in it himself. Still, he saw several of the skinny, tattooed chef’s eye the prize with hunger in their eyes.

Ruby’s distant cousin’s turned out to be a mix of obnoxious and crazy like Ruth and sweet as pie like Ruby. The calmer cousin’s made a plate and sat at the table, content to catch up with Ruby. The chaotic, Ruth-like ones eyed the decor, the food, and Ruby’s friends with thinly veiled judgment. Erik pointed those cousins out to Ruth immediately.

Erik recognized what coworkers would be trouble as soon as they arrived. Ruth had sat them as far away from the exit as possible. The smokers all tried to hold out. But the itchy look in their eyes was indiscernible from the way they studied Ruby, Oliver, and Moira all in one room. Erik made sure to linger by their table until they decided that a forty-five-minute smoke break was better than Erik hovering over them.

He carefully avoided the Ruby, Oliver, and Moira of it all. That was something too painful to watch, let alone take the enjoyment out of. He couldn’t help but question how such shitty people came to be in Ruby’s life.

Erik was a pessimist to his core yet even he could see Ruby was one of the few exceptions. She was kind, loving, and selfless in a way he’d only seen on tv. Yet somehow she was surrounded by people who wanted nothing more than to see her hurt.

When Erik wasn’t putting the pressure on the guests shitty enough to stare, Erik kept to Ruby’s side. He helped her sit down and stand up as she went around greeting guests and family alike. Erik kept her moving when someone was shitty enough to inquire about the father of her child. He made sure to distract her every time Moira and Oliver circled near. Which, was happening way too often.

Erik was on a winning streak keeping Ruby away from the worst of the chatter. This is why it was all too easy for him to get distracted by the arrival of Bradford and a gorgeous black woman.

“What the…” Erik’s jaw dropped. The hand he’d kept glued to Ruby’s lower back (for leverage alright, he was _not_ copping a feel on a pregnant woman) went into his pocket so fast the fabric stretched in warning.

Ruby noticed Erik’s reaction immediately yet when she turned to see what caused it she smiled.

“Oh great,” she turned to Erik and grabbed his hand, “they came!”

“You invited them?” Erik asked dumbly. He let Ruby pull him across the room to the entrance. Bradford and presumably his wife looked awkward in the doorway. _Serves them right_ , Erik thought bitterly. _Bradford didn’t even know Ruby, what business did he have here?_

When Bradford finally located Erik his eyebrows went up and he shrugged. Then he jerked his head at his wife. The very same wife who Ruby was now folding into a hug as if they were old friends.

Erik stared at her in shock. Ruby was friendly, lord knows Erik _hated_ how friendly, but even she wouldn’t hug a complete stranger.

“Erik, Bradford told me you didn’t invite him to the reveal so I had Ruth print up a few extra invitations.” She beamed at him as if nothing was wrong with inviting his...acquaintance and his wife to her baby event.

Clenching his teeth to stop himself for yelling, Erik searched with only his eyes for Ruth’s crown of braids. She had some explaining to do. 

“I’ve heard so much about you Erik, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name.” Bradford's wife, who looked stunning in a pink floor-length dress, extended a gift for Erik to take.

_Ok, what the fuck?_

Bradford, sensing Erik’s inner implosion, snatched the gift from his wife with a chuckle then turned to Ruby, “Where’s the gift table? I’ll go drop this off and you two can catch up?”

Ruby turned to Erik expectantly. The feeling of her eyes on him snapped Erik out of his head. Smiling a sweet smile that forced a smile out of the usually blank-faced vet, Ruby said, “Do you think you can show Bradford the gift table? Noemi and I are gonna see if we can track down some snacks.”

“We’ve been driving for hours,” Noemi gushed, unnecessarily.

Ignoring her, Erik took a step towards Ruby. He placed a hand on her hip and used it as an excuse to step between Noemi and Ruby. Glancing at the tea room at large, Erik could count on one hand all the people who might give her trouble between where they were and the food table. Could he risk one of the guests feeling bold enough to approach Ruby outright?

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit down? When’s the last time you had water.”

Ruby cocked her head in confusion, “I’m fine Erik, just...help Bradford.” reaching around him Ruby grabbed Noemi’s wrist and the two women disappeared into the crowd.

Erik stared after them like a fool, an annoying, helpless feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Had he fucked up with Ruby_?

Fixing his face, Erik turned to Bradford and nodded towards the present table, “Follow me.”

“Ay, man… I didn’t even wanna come. But the twin cornered me that night I came back from your place a week ago. Then my wife found the invite... Turns out they were best friends at some Christian camp in Malibu…”. Bradford struggled to speak and keep pace with Erik.

For his part, Erik was listening to the other man. He didn’t like surprises. He didn’t like feeling like his life was out of his control. Ruby inviting Bradford crossed so many lines Erik had spent years carefully laying down. But was he thinking about that? No. Erik was thinking about the look in her eyes when Ruby left him with Bradford.

_Had he really come this far to fuck up with Ruby?_

“You’re...not even listening to me. Are you?” Bradford laughed. The two men came to a stop at the overflowing table of baby gifts. Erik had to give Ruby’s shitty friends credit, for one thing, they knew how to splurge on a gift. Or at least, gift wrapping.

“Look, man, it’s her call. If she wanted you here then she wanted you here.” Erik dismissed the whole situation with a shrug. Despite his initial surprise, he knew he had nothing to be upset about. Ruby could invite anyone she wanted, it’s her event. Her baby, her body.

Bradford gave Erik a look he couldn’t decipher, “I think...Ruby invited me so that you could have someone to talk to.”

At that Erik jerked his head and narrowed his eyes at Bradford, “We don’t talk.”

This was true, they didn’t talk. They had a friendship founded on mutual interests without the need to talk or intrude on one another’s life. Until today, that is. But Erik’s feeling wouldn’t budge on the matter: Ruby invited him so Erik had no right to be upset.

Even though he couldn’t stop thinking about how often they’d interact for Ruby to invite him to her Name Reveal. Otherwise, why would it matter if he knew what her baby’s name was? For all Erik knew, Bradford and Ruby were the best of friends and he was the idiot who missed all the signs.

“Hey man...you good?” Bradford’s voice echoed to Erik from far away, even though the man was standing right next to him.

Snapping back to reality, Erik cast Bradford one last insecure, searching look. Then he looked all thoughts of Ruby and Bradford away. No use thinking of it now. Bradford was here and Erik promised Ruth he’d keep an eye on her sister.

But first, “You want a drink?”

Bradford cocked an eyebrow, “You got something other than tea?”

Rolling his eyes, Erik nodded his head towards the exit.

With his eyes on the party at large, he led Bradford to the stash he’d hid away before the party started. Most of the drinks on Ruby’s menu were non-alcoholic. Ruth had champagne, like that would be enough. But for niggas like Erik there was a stash chilled and waiting to be tapped into.

“You sure you should be drinking? You are the ‘Daddy’ of this event aren’t you?”

Shooting Bradford a dark look, Erik closed them into the janitor's closet. He grabbed a labelless bottle, one whiff revealed it to be the rum, he passed that to Bradford.

“You know that ain’t my baby right?” for himself, Erik grabbed the cognac.

Snorting around his sip, Bradford dropped the bottle from his mouth. Erik could barely see the movement in the din of the closet. 

“My guy, that may not be your baby, but you are most certainly the daddy.”

Glowering at him, Erik tapped the bottom of the rum bottle right as Bradford raised it to take a sip. The other man overcorrected and sent a torrent of alcohol right up his nose. Immediately he dropped the bottle from his lips and bent over to cough up spit and rum and snot.

Smirking, Erik brought his own bottle back up to his lips, “That's I thought, motherfucker.”


	15. 24 Weeks Name Reveal Part Two

"Ruby may I speak with you a moment,” Moira appeared at Ruby’s shoulder without warning. Startling her into stumbling into a column of purple, pink, and blue flowers cascading around it.

A few petals dislodged themselves and landed in her hair but Ruby couldn’t bring herself to care. For the first time in almost two years, she was face to face with Moira. 

She’d aged as beautifully as rich women tended to do. Her large, brown eyes met Ruby’s deer in the headlights stare with unexpected warmth. Chestnut brown curls flowed to her belly. Geriatric pregnancy or not, Moira her skin and hair glowed.

Ruby hugged the other woman close. She aimed air kiss at her cheeks, and talked through a smile only a degree above a grimace."Moira! Hey…"

On the inside, Ruby searched for her support system. After showing Noemi to her table she'd expect Erik to find her again. Yet he remained hidden. Ruth had gone into the back with a murderous look in her eyes and a tray of hor d'oeuvres.

Ruby wouldn't think of bothering her sister while she was working, but she desperately needed a buffer right now.

"You are so beautiful, Ruru!" Tears rose in Moira's eyes, "I'm sorry I haven't reached out to you since your announcement but things were just..." Moira makes a face and waves a hand, figuratively already over and done with whatever she was talking about.

Ruby just kept the smile on her face and said, "Of course! Oliver told me you were working on a book." Unwilling her eyes flicked down to Moira's belly, so much smaller than her own despite them being only weeks apart.

Moira's facelifted the way all industry types did when asked to talk about their work. Early in her career, Ruby had worried she wouldn't know what to say to all the chefs she'd someday work with. But Ruby had learned to let people talk about themselves. It was part of the reason, beyond Oliver’s influence, her career had seen such success so early on.

Moira began chattering about her book, a cookbook for women going through geriatric pregnancies. When Ruby heard the topic of her book it took everything in her not to drop the smile on her face. _Just how long had she known about the pregnancy?_ The thought circled Ruby’s brain while Moira talked. The other woman was completely oblivious to her discomfort.

But why shouldn’t she be? As far as Ruby knew, Moira had no idea about her and Oliver (or Oliver and Ruth).

For comfort, Ruby began caressing her belly, talking to her little companion, and herself mentally.

_Everythings alright now,_ She settled a hand on the very bottom of her swollen middle. _Oliver can’t touch you and he can’t touch me. We just gotta get through this conversation. The rest is cake. No, better._

Ruby corrected herself. Moira flipped her hair and started talking about recipe testing being murder on a pregnant woman’s sensitive pallet.

_The rest of this would be poppy seed lemon cake. Drizzled in blueberry syrup._

All Ruby had to do was survive a talk with the wife of her baby's father.

* * *

“ _Where the fuck have you been_ ,”

Erik returned to the party with Bradford at his side. He’d been about to pull the man to the refreshments table before Ruth swooped down on them both like a vulture. How a woman who looked just like Ruby could pull off such an ugly look Erik will never understand. Identical twins they might be, but the differences between them were never more obvious than when Ruth was spouting off at the mouth.

Next to him, Bradford stared at Ruth and Erik with an amused look in his eyes, “I get the feeling she’s not talking to me.”

Rolling his eyes Erik gave Ruth the same energy she’d given him, “Ruby told me to take a lap so I did. Whatchu want me to do handcuff her to me?”

Bradford, who’d watched as Erik spoke with one hand on his chin, turned his head to Ruth.

Ruth sneered, “ _Oh she sent you away?_ Poor baby, you got curved by a pregnant woman.”

Bradford didn’t laugh but he couldn’t turn his head quick enough to hide the look of delight that crossed his face at Ruth’s words.

Ruth continued, “I had you on buffer duty, easily, the third most important job at the party. Do you know _why_ I put you on buffer duty, Erik?”

“I know if you keep talking to me like that I’m gonna tell you about yourself in a way you won’t like. So how ‘bout we restart, and you get to the fucking point.”

Seething, Ruth inclined her head. Point, Erik.

“Moira and Ruby having a conversation. Alone.”

Erik’s head snapped to the side immediately. Sharp eyes scanned the room for Ruby’s afro. She’d placed pink and blue flowers throughout the puff. A pregnant 5’9 woman with flowers in her hair schedule be easy for him to spot, yet it was Ruth who pointed her out to him. The second he saw her, Erik propelled himself across the room.

Ruby had a habit of smiling at everyone, it was something Erik was confusingly irritated by. The woman gave out smiles like they cost her nothing and Erik didn’t know where she kept the endless supply. He’d made a study of Ruby’s smiles over the few months they’d known each other. And while he’d never know her the way Ruth did, he saw immediately why she’d yelled at him for slacking.

“So should I just follow him or-”

“Ugh,” Ruth scoffed behind Erik. 

He personally didn’t care what Bradford did. Grudging acquaintance or not, it was not Erik’s job to coddle the man. Erik’s job lay with Ruby.

He arrived as the tall, white woman said, “Tell me about the pregnancy! I know it’s your first, it must be so exciting!”

If Ruby had looked trapped before, the look in her eyes broadcasted, “SOS!”

Erik placed a hand on her lower back, pulling her into him and out of the bubble she’d been in with Moira. Ruby tensed at his touch initially but relaxed before even looking back at him.

“Erik!” his name had never sounded lovelier. And he didn’t even use words like that. But her voice combined with the power of her smile, her _real_ smile, did numbers on his chest. Smiling back he chucked his chin at the party surrounding them.

“Ruth said it’s time for a few baby games, you ready?” the lie slipped so easily off his tongue. Erik nearly convinced himself Ruth had really talked to him about the baby games. Ruby never questioned it.

With a relieved grin she turned to Moira, “Could you excuse us? It was so nice catching up with you. Please enjoy the refreshments table. The catered meal will be served shortly so if you’re feeling peckish feel free to-”

Erik pulled a still rambling Ruby away from the dumbstruck white woman. It was hard work pulling her along and fighting off a smile at the sight of the other woman’s face. Nut he managed it until they arrived at the short platform Ruth had erected. He helped Ruby onto her chair, throne more like, and helped her adjust until she was settled.

“Alright, I’m gonna help with the setup okay? Stay.” Erik studied, when she looked like she might move he held his hands out, “Aht aht, stay.” as a second thought he tacked on “Please?” very quietly.

“Geeze Ruby got the man begging for you already?” Ruth appeared at Erik’s shoulder out of nowhere. He jumped in surprise, somehow landing between Ruby and her sister. The reflex embarrassed him. He said nothing when he returned to his rightful place at a distance to Ruby.

Ruby opened her mouth to answer Ruth’s question but her twin spoke first, “Okay I’m going to go over the rules of basic competition again. We will not have a repeat of our sixth-grade slumber parties.”

Erik looked between the two sisters in confusion.

Ruby played with the fabric covering her belly, “I know how competition works, Ruth.”

Ruth gave her sister a stern look, “Okay I won’t do the explanation but so heLP ME GOD, Ruby. If you do what you did last time you had to judge-”

“Well, cards against humanity is a complicated game because so many of the cards are kind of bad and-”

Ruth waved her arms and cut her sister off, “No, no, no! We won’t do it today.” She stared sternly at Erik, “Capiche?”

Erik mean mugged back at her, making Ruby giggle.

“What’s this really about Ruth? They’re just baby games.”

Ruth gave her sister a look of such pity, exasperation, and rage Erik stepped closer to Ruby's side. Just in case. 

He could see that yet again, the sisters couldn’t be more different. For one, Ruth cared more about this baby event than Ruby did. But that was because Ruth had planned it. Whereas Ruby existed in her own world. 

Ruth had a violent look in her eyes. Ruby stared back and rubbed her belly. Erik sighed and decided to stop Ruth from a double homicide.

“You need help with set up? I know Bradford ain’t doing anything.”

Ruth dragged her eyes away from her sister and stared Erik down, “No, I don’t need Bradford. I need you.”

“For what?” She always had shit for him to do! When did this become his life?

Ruby looked between her sister and Erik with a smile, “I appreciate your help, Erik. You too, Ruth. You guys have made this day amazing for me.”

Erik smiled back, “This is your day.” he said, “I’m happy I could help.”

And the sick part was, he fucking meant it.

* * *

Ruby didn’t know what games Ruth planned for the party, but the guests seemed to enjoy them. Ruth passed out onesies for everyone to decorate. Ruby picked her favorite but, against Ruth’s wishes, chose to take all twenty of them home. Her favorites ended up being a onesie with a whisk and another that had a buff muffin and bubble letters that said Stud Muffin on it. One of the creators of those onesie's got a knife set that caused all the chef's in the room to roll their eyes. The other winner got an emulsion blender.

For the next game, Ruth brought out a few plastic tubs. Erik helped her fill them with water and then dumped a bunch of pacifiers into the tubs. He tried escaping into the crowd that had formed around the first game, but Ruth was quicker.

“Alright, ‘Daddy’ here will start the game. Anyone want to compete against him?”

The word “Daddy” had Erik glaring at Ruth. His handsome face turned to stone immediately. He had no chance to correct her. A cousin, Nathan it looked like, stepped up as challenger. He tried backing out anyway and the crowd let him know how much they disliked that idea. Ruby tried not to encourage it either way but a part of her wanted to see what he would do. 

In the end, it was Bradford who put Erik into position in front of his tub. The crowd cheered and egged Erik on, but it was Ruby he stared at while Ruth played Emcee. Ruby could hardly hear her sister, so focused was she on Erik. Ruth counted both men down. Erik glared at her as he placed his arms behind his back and rolled the tension out of his impressive shoulders.

On three, both men dunked their heads into the water. Nothing but the sound of splashing and cheering filled the room. Ruby clapped and cheered Erik on, and she wasn’t the only one. All the unattached women in the room had watched Erik with sharp eyes. Every time he rose from the water he had a pacifier in his mouth. For every two Erik brought up with him, Nathan brought up one.

Erik won by a landslide and by default, the crowd won as well. His shirt was soaked through, revealing a sculpted torso every woman wanted to run their fingers across. Ruby cheered loudest of all, rising to her feet even to hand him a towel.

Erik accepted the towel and quickly left the game area. Ruby led him back to her chair, staring at a droplet of water as it traveled down Erik’s thick neck.

“Your sister is a nut, you know that?” Erik scrubbed the towel through his locs.

“Aww cut her some slack, _‘Daddy’_ ,” Ruby could barely get the word out around her giggles. “She was just trying to get people into the gaming spirit”

“You know,” Erik stopped rubbing his head into the towel to settle it around his strong shoulders, “This really isn’t the way I pictured you calling me daddy.”

Ruby stopped walking in shock. Wait, what did he just say?


	16. 24 Weeks Name Reveal Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to @abeautifulmindexposed on tumblr for the name suggestion: Raia.

Ruby’s baby shower carried on as Ruth planned. Using Erik as her guinea pig, she had nearly everyone participating in the baby games. And most importantly leaving her sister alone. When Erik wasn’t being dragged around by Ruth he kept to Ruby’s side. He had a sappy look on his face every time Ruth glanced over to check on him.

To be honest Ruth had decided how she felt about this new man in her sister’s life. From what she could tell Ruby didn’t even know she had feelings for him, or that he felt the same way about her. They walked around with love in their eyes and called each other “friend”. As if anyone with eyes couldn’t see the tension between them.

Ultimately, Ruth didn’t want her sister to get hurt. With any other man, she’d caution her sister to be careful. If he turned out to be all wrong for her it wouldn’t be only her life she was ruining. Ruth believed no man would willing care for a child that wasn’t theirs unless it benefited them with the mother. But something about Erik made the pessimist inside her quiet. They weren’t together, he knew she was pregnant and all the drama she has with the baby’s father.

Erik knew all that, yet he still orbited Ruby like a moon. Basking in her glow and fooling no one with his blank stares and blunt manner of speaking. They were gonna end up together whether those babies were his or not. Ruth would set a calendar to it, but she had much more important matters to take care of.

After monitoring the various baby games, Ruth signaled for her team to set up for the name reveal. Ruby hated making a mess for others to clean up, so instead of popping balloons filled with confetti and the baby’s name, she modified jack-in-the-box’s. While the guests were distracted, the ombre pastel boxes were placed on every table. By the time they’d finished, the games were winding down and Ruth needed to declare the winners.

On her way to the game area, Ruth snagged Erik’s arm and pulled him to a quieter corner away from the noise of the party.

“You know after the stunt you pulled today I’d think twice about touching me,” Erik threatened lowly. His threat fell flat when he couldn’t take his eyes off of Ruby for longer than five seconds to deliver it.

“Yeah yeah, you're a big scary army man-” Ruth mocked.

“ _Navy_ , actually. But continue.” 

Ruth fought off an eye roll and focused on her original reason for calling him over.

“After I declare the last winner for the baby games we’re doing the name reveal. I need you to keep Ruby up on the stage the whole time. No one can approach, and if you hear The Nutcracker playing from any one of these boxes signal me and I’ll take care of it.”

Ruth’s orders were rapid-fire and succinct. Erik nodded along, unblinking, as he observed her.

“And please, keep Moira and the Sperm Donor at bay. I don’t want a repeat of the last time you slacked off on your end of the deal.”

Erik scoffed, “So you want me to watch her, entertain her, and keep everyone else away from her? Do I get a commission for this job or am I an unpaid intern?”

Ruth was unmoved by the annoyance in his voice, “Hire a buddy if you need to. Today is Ruby’s day and I _won’t_ have them ruining it.”

Ruth walked away before Erik could talk back. She still had a job to do and listening to a man complain wasn’t one of them.

* * *

Ruby looked to where Erik had once sat next to her only to find him gone. It didn’t take her long to spot him chatting with Ruth, but the serious looks on their faces gave made her pause. The Name Reveal so far had been fun and energetic. A little more crowded than Ruby would have liked, but still, fun all the same. Was Erik not having a good time?

He’d stuck by her side for most of the event, a move Ruby appreciated but couldn’t understand. She’d invited Bradford and his wife so Erik wouldn’t feel left out or alone while Ruby did her expected rounds around the room. Yet he chose to stay at her side as she talked to her friends and family. If she didn’t enjoy his presence so much, Ruby would question it. Now she worried he wasn’t having a good time at all.

Tapping on her table drew Ruby’s attention away from her sister and Erik. With a practiced smile already stretching across her lips, her eyes lit up when they landed on the tapper.

“Chef Di Croce!” Ruby squealed. She tried launching out of her chair to hug the much smaller, Italian man but her size made it difficult. Before she could struggle Erik was at her side. He pulled her chair out and lending her a supportive hand for leverage.

She thanked him without taking her eyes off the man she’d come to think of as a father, standing in front of her.

“Caramellina!” he hugged Ruby close and gave her back the familiar hearty pats that accompanied all his hugs. Despite their height difference, their embrace was fluid, almost synchronized. To Ruby’s, her mentor’s hugs were almost as good as her mother’s. Almost.

They parted and Chef Di Croce began speaking at Ruby in rapid Italian. He gestured at the decorations, at his wife Apollonia, where she was talking with Moira and Oliver. Erik made his presence known at her side as he spoke, a look of confusion furrowing his brows.

Smiling up at him Ruby gestured at the chef. Who still hadn’t stopped talking, “This man is the only reason I have a career today.” Lovingly she added, “He’s like a father to me.”

At this the chef stopped talking and pinched Ruby’s cheek, “My caramellina, is a having a baby!” he shot a sly, glance at Erik. “You don’t waste time, eh? You American’s preach money, money, money but that don’t matter eh?” it was a question that didn’t need an answer. The chef didn’t pause long enough to let them speak up anyway.

“Family, matters.” he looked between the two of them, his expression suddenly serious, “Love, matter, no?”

Ruby placed a hand on Erik’s arm and tilted her head in his direction, in fluent Italian she said, _“Chef, this is Erik. He has been a very true, very dear friend to me.” With heat in her cheeks she added, “But this isn’t his-”_

“Erik!” Ruth’s voice carried over the roar of conversation and music. Everyone stopped talking to look at her. Erik looked seconds away from murder, but a strange circular motion with Ruth’s hands had him springing into action.

Turning to Chef Di Croce Erik offered a polite smile while pulling Ruby away from the conversation. _“Nice to meet you, excuse us,”_ His accent was flawless and despite how formal his Italian was. It was the shock (both at his words and how they affected her) that allowed Ruby to be tugged away without so much as a ‘bye’ to the chef.

After his little ‘daddy’ quip earlier Ruby had to admit to herself that she saw Erik a little differently. She wanted to believe it was because it’d been so long since she’d last been intimate, but Erik’s sheer magnetism couldn’t be ignored. He was a tall, handsome, and successful black man who was actually a good person. That checked off all Ruby’s boxes and then some.

Also, it didn’t hurt that she liked how safe and wanted she felt when Erik took her hand and placed her gently on her chair.

Ruby shook the lust from her head and studied the room around her. Everyone was in their seat, pastel boxes with rococo designs in front of them like a place setting. She turned to ask her sister or Erik if she got a pastel box too, to find that Erik was there with two in his hands.

Smiling up at him, Ruby took the box meant for her and placed it on the table. The whole room had settled once Ruth’s voice came on over the speakers.

“Alright, family! It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” Someone somewhere started a drumroll on their table. It didn’t take long for the rest of the room to take up the banging. Even Erik, at Ruby’s table, let out a whoop over all the noise. 

Ruby beamed, basking in the collective feeling of joy and promise in the room. There had been several chances for the event to be ruined yet Ruth and Erik had somehow pulled off the perfect night for her. She couldn’t wait to share this final peace of joy with all the people she loved at her side.

“On the count of three, start your music boxes!”

“One!”

Erik picked up his music box. Ruby placed her hand on the lever, ridiculously nervous even though she’s the one who picked out the names. 

“Two!”

Maybe she wondered how everyone else would react? Maybe she wasn’t ready to see her child’s name in print. The baby wouldn’t cease to exist because she didn’t tell anyone their name before they were born, but it made it somehow more real. They would be a person someday, someone everyone in the room would know.

“Three!”

At once, everyone began turning the lever on their music box. Some people were a little fast, others a little slow, but Ruby watched them all. She turned the lever on her own music box-like an afterthought, more interested in the reactions of her family.

The music boxes of the early starts jumped to life first, thrusting a sparkly cutout instead of a jester. Their reactions were muted as all the other boxes finally caught up Everyone studied the cutout. Then a few heads tilted.

Ruby laughed when a few people squinted as if that would make what they were seeing make more sense.

Ruby’s box popped open last, the noise drew everyone’s eye. Beaming, she tapped a finger against the spring-loaded cutout.

Ruth’s voice, sounding more than a little shocked despite her attempt to mask it, “Welcome to the family; Raia and Rami!”


	17. 34 Weeks & A Journey

"You know, I'd never been to Wakanda before. I got through the initial Visa application but the network couldn't get permission to film."

Erik hummed to let Ruby know he was listening but he was more focused on packing his luggage. Usually, Erik tried to pack for trips weeks in advance. He tracked weather apps, upgraded his tickets if the loss of miles was worth it, and set aside money to exchange for local currency.

In the weeks leading up to this particular trip, Erik had been a little distracted.

"Will you bring me back anything when you go? I'm so used to being the one going away that I never get to ask for souvenirs."

Erik glanced over at where Ruby sat. She'd taken over the left side of his bed at some point. Sitting up straight hurt her back, as did standing, and laying down in certain positions.

Laying on his bed, belly in the air like a small mountain, seemed to be the most comfortable for her. With anyone else, he'd complain about the invasion of his space. But he couldn't imagine telling Ruby to leave. So he didn't.

"What do you want?"

Despite months of spending time together, Erik felt like he knew very little about Ruby. He knew she was kind and optimistic to a fault. She could do things with sugar, butter, and flour that was downright sinful, and she had horrible taste in men and friends. 

Erik tried to keep in mind that pregnant Ruby could be a lot different than who she actually was. Hormones did crazy things to a woman.

The other night Ruby had shown up to Erik's door to use the bathroom cause "all her toilets were locked". That morning she'd roped him and Ruth into baby-proofing the house. Yet pregnancy brain had wiped that knowledge from her memory.

"Hmmm, a corny t-shirt?" She smiled up at Erik. Her hands never left her belly these days. The twins were more active than ever. Erik had watched them move under her skin but had yet to place a hand on her himself.

As close as they were, touching her belly felt like a step too far.

"Don't set me up like that," Erik shut his suitcase with a decisive click. "I bring you a t-shirt and it's either too big and I'm fucked or it's too small and you'll never wear it,"

He wagged a finger at her, "You not about to catch me slippin'."

Giggling, Ruby shook her head, "I hadn't realized gift giving could be a setup,"

"That's 'cause you're a good person," Erik said, "Niggas like me got to think of every angle."

Ruby's brown eyes looked molten, like steaming milk chocolate on a cold day, "How tiring,"

Erik smirked, "Not at all. There are a lot of benefits to being detail-oriented"

"Okay if ya'll done being nasty," Ruth's voice dripped with playful disgust as she spoke up for the first time since Ruby answered her call.

They'd both forgotten she was technically in the room with them.

"The car's ready and we gotta be at the mommy meeting in twenty minutes."

Erik went around his room and cleaned up his packing mess while the two sisters talked. Ruby mentioned signing up for a support group and today was her first meeting. Ruth forced her to admit most of the friends she had were trash 

Selfishly, Erik wished he wasn't about to hop on a plane for a more than ten-hour flight.

Since the baby shower, Erik and Ruby had become even closer. He had a plan in place, that Ruth knew about because she was a bully, to ask Ruby on a date.

An actual date. 

Not drinks at a club before a hookup. Not a quickie wherever was convenient; A date. Erik had probably been on two dates in his life. The first, he'd taken a base groupie for dinner and drinks. It ended when he transferred but they'd managed to squeeze in a second date before his deployment. 

Erik couldn't even remember that woman's name at this point. He was hoping for a much different outcome with Ruby. 

He was aware that Ruby was different from every woman he'd ever dealt with. And not just because she was pregnant with another man's babies.

Ruby was different first and foremost because Erik wanted her. After losing his parents at an early age, Erik had taught himself to want no one. He taught himself to enjoy his own company because other people either left, were taken away, or were never really there for you in the first place. Despite that Ruby had earned a place in his head. Erik didn’t think he’d ever find peace until he satisfied his curiosity and interest in her.

He couldn't understand how she'd done it. How had this one woman burrowed her way into his psyche? What did she do to make him l-...

"Help me up, Erik. If I don't go down there soon she'll start honking the horn and the neighbors were really upset last time she did that."

Erik was at her side before she'd finished speaking. He walked her downstairs and helped her into Ruth’s car.

"Hey, Erik!" Ruth called from the driver's side of the car. Erik met her gaze around Ruby, "Didjya friend tell you about her birth plan?"

Before Erik could say anything Ruby cut in with the sharpest tone of voice he'd ever heard from her, "Ruth Anne Brown!"

Silence rang in the air, the tension between the sisters as thick as sap. Erik stared between the twins, their faces identical in their ability to confuse him. Erik prided himself on being able to read anyone. He'd risen through the ranks despite his problem with authority on this honed ability alone.

Yet he might as well be facing the other direction for all that he picked up between the two sisters.

Ruth broke the tension with an indulgent smile at her sister's belly, "You all strapped in babies?"

Ruby turned on a dime and smiled at Erik. The brightness of it distracted him long enough for her to shut the door between them. The sound of its slamming home snapped him out of his Ruby induced stupor.

"Bye Erik, have fun on your trip!" she said as Ruth began to pull away. "Call me when you land so I know you made it okay-" 

Ruth cackled and that was all Erik heard before she pulled into traffic aggressively, not quite burning rubber as she sped away.

Erik stared after them in a daze, feeling way more than three seconds behind. He'd missed something and he knew it.

Klaue called Erik ok his way to the airport. Then he called again as his plane was boarding. Erik was sure he called during the flight but he had a better excuse not to answer then.

Erik didn't need Klaue to remind him that his career rides on this sale. That if he fucked up this meeting with the sculptor he'd lose Klaue as a client. And at that point, he might as well board up his business. Half of Erik's client list had come from Klaue either directly or indirectly. As a Black man in the art world, Erik often felt like an anomaly, a token or worse, an infiltrator. 

Klaue's association had come with benefits, no matter how grating Erik found the man.

This time, when he reached the mountain, he'd nut the fuck up and brace the cold. The faster he could get this

When he landed Erik updated his phone to the local time and sent Ruby a text to let her know he made it. He was drafting an email to Klaue when Ruby replied. 

“We’re so happy so you made it safe! Try all the local food and tell me everything!”

She included a picture of a sonogram. Unlike the sonogram earlier on in her pregnancy, Erik could clearly see two faces. Above their heads, someone had written with a silver paint pen ‘Rami and Raia”. Raia had her fist next to her cheek and Rami for sure had Ruby’s chin. Erik forgot all about Klaue and his email, all he wanted to do was stare at the twins until the end of time.

These weren’t his babies, but he felt so strongly about their mother something in his chest made him curious. Before he could stop himself he was dialing Ruby’s number. He told himself it was only to further assure her he’d made it to Wakanda safe. But the sound of her voice on the other line made him smile too hard to even believe himself.

Jabariland was cold as all hell and secluded deep in the mountains. Erik paid twice what he expected to find a guide willing to transport him up the mountain. The winter clothes he’d splurged Klaue’s money on kept out the wind but wasn’t insulated enough to keep him warm. Still, it was better than last time. Erik clenched his jaw, pulled a fur blanket close, and set in for the journey ahead.

They traveled through an eternity of snow and wind. They took breaks along the wider parts of the mountain. Their progress slowed to a near-standstill when the path they were on narrowed. Erik was about to worry when the air cleared long enough for him to see the Jabari sculptors compound. 

Hanging precariously off a cliff, wood and glass and stone was all Erik could see of the building. He didn’t care to study it, just wished it were closer so he could get out of the cold faster. 

His guide had barely pulled to a stop in front of the stone wall baring the sculptors' compound from visitors when a large, wooden door released a flood of warm light on them both. Neither of them wasted time unpacking and rushing inside.

While Erik and his guide acclimated to the blazing warmth in the front room, what he assumed to be the sculptor's staff brought their bags in.

One stood off to the side and handed them warm furs and leathers. Another stood patiently observing them. Once they were covered in furs and their teeth had stopped chattering, the rest of the staff cleared out. Leaving Erik and his guide alone with a woman with an impressive fro and a warm smile.

"Lord M'Baku thanks for making the journey to Jabriland. He will be unavailable until dinner in an hour, but hopes you find your accommodations to your liking."

With the same smile, she handed Erik a contract on a clipboard.

"This is a standard nondisclosure agreement. Lord M'Baku values his privacy and refuses to speak with you unless you sign it."

"And if I don't?" Erik took the clipboard and read over the agreement. 

In the art world, eccentrics were a dime a dozen. Erik had dealt with artists who asked more than an art buyer should have to put up with. But a sale is a sale. Erik's entire career, one he was finding less and less rewarding, hinged on acquiring a piece from M'Baku.

Hell, he'd trekked up a fucking mountain for this. An NDA was a little fucking late after all he'd endured.

"Then you will be asked to leave at your earliest convenience tomorrow morning." The statement was made with a smile but Erik didn't miss the icy chill on her tone.

Signing the NDA with a flourish he handed the clipboard back to the attendant and patiently waited for her to go over them.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Now if you'll leave you cellphones and other electronic devices with me I can lead you to your chambers."

"I gotta give up my phone too?" Erik snapped. 

The attendant's smile froze, "Lord M'Baku is a traditionalist-"

"Yeah yeah, I need my phone. I'm expecting an urgent phone call and I can't lose all contact to the outside world."

Thoughts of Ruby going into labor with him thousands of miles away made panic rise in his chest. Ruth may be her sister but she was shit in a tense situation. How would Erik be there for her if he didn't even know when she gave birth? Her due date was still a ways away but people who gave birth to twins could give birth earlier than expected. Erik wouldn't be back in America for another week at least. Who knew what could happen between then and now.

"Lord M'Baku is very protective of his privacy. He will not-"

"Look my girl is pregnant and if I can't contact her I might as well leave now. I can't risk not being there for her."

The attendant's lips pressed together tighter. She obviously didn't want to disobey the orders of her employer.

"I will talk to Lord M'Baku about this. In the meantime, I shall take you to your chambers. Someone will collect you for dinner if I do not return before that." At a brisk, annoyed walk, the attendant led Erik and his guide through a long hallway. The walls were glass and allowed a breathtaking view of the mountain range and snowy peaks.

Erik barely noticed as tense as he was. He kept expecting the attendant to take his phone anyway, or for M'Baku to insist he give it up. And his mind was trying to put together a timeline between when Ruby had gone from his neighbor to his girl. That one was stumping him.

The guide was dropped off first. Erik and the attendant walked in silence for a few minutes before she left him at a large, wood door.

"I shall try to have Lord M'Baku's answer before dinner. I hope your chambers are to your liking. If you need anything there is a rope you can pull to summon assistance. Any questions?"

Her face looked like she severely hoped he wouldn't ask her anything, and was just asking out of courtesy. Erik, not much of a masochist, chose to leave the poor woman alone.

"Nah I'm good. Just get back to me about the phone thing."

Finally alone in his grand chamber Erik couldn't appreciate the architecture or art. His mind was trying to figure out when Ruby became his girl. 

He wasn't an idiot, Erik was more in tune with himself than most men. The fact that his feelings for Ruby had grown without his knowledge left him feeling stuck and stupid. When he probed at his heart and searched his mind for the moment or day the feelings emerged he found nothing. Nothing but the curve of Ruby's smile, her soft rich skin, and those too sweet brown eyes.

There was no look or action that initiated Erik's interest. Caring for Ruby...liking Ruby had come on as naturally as a growth spurt. He hadn't noticed it happening but all of a sudden his cuffs were at his ankles and his shoes pinched his feet.

Erik scrubbed his face, why was he such a pessimist? His feelings for Ruby didn't make him uncomfortable. The knowledge that he'd fallen for her without thought shook him.

Searching within himself told Erik very little but it confirmed his need to go on a date with Ruby. His feelings were deeper than he'd originally thought which changed things significantly. 

Checking his phone Erik realized he only had another thirty minutes before his meeting with M'Baku. He decided to sort out his feelings, and the plans for their future date, later. First, he needed to wash the stink of travel off his skin.


	18. 35 Weeks Early... & Late

"Jesus Ruby, would you get off that thing?" Ruth paced the length of the living room. She had two phones clutched in her hands, a laptop balanced on the ottoman, and a bluetooth in one ear.

And an eye twitch, though Ruby was doing her best not to notice it.

Half of her usually braided hair spiked out from her hair in a blown-out fro. She'd come straight from her hair appointment at their Aunties house in Inglewood. Yet she'd spent the better part of two hours trying to get Ruby to a hospital.

Or even better, get the midwife Ruby had hired to the apartment. 

LA had gone to shit. The freeways backed up for miles, streets blocked off for filming. Ruby's block alone was bumper to bumper. No one was coming in or out.

Outside or in the apartment. 

Ruby refused to stress and she also refused to have her babies in her house without medical help. Ruby refused to give birth until she felt comfortable. And as she breathed through contractions coming faster and faster, she felt really fucking uncomfortable. 

Ruth had told her as soon as she got in that she couldn't handle it if a baby popped out right in front of her. She'd never seen them 'fresh' before. Ruby had rolled her eyes and resumed her place on her oonjal.

It wasn't as soothing as Padma had led her to believe but it gave her something to set her breathing to. Something to grip onto when pain scraped her throat raw.

When she opened her eyes after a contraction nearly sent her to her knees, Ruth was at her side, rubbing her back and feeding her ice chips.

"You're doing so well."

"Yeah?" Ruby breathed, panted honestly. Sweat dripped from her forehead. Ruth's hand against her cheek felt like heaven, a tether to something other than the pain.

"Yeah," Ruth tapped at the bluetooth and came alert. "Nevaeh? Where the fuck are you? Now is not the time to pull a Lauryn Hill."

Ruby pushed Ruth and her negative energy away, "Ask her how much longer!" 

Ruth visibly stopped herself from snapping back, instead, she politely asked? "We're gonna need an ETA,"

The sound of Ruby panting, the swing working hard under the force of her swings, and outside traffic filled the apartment. One would think a question as simple as when will you get here would have a simple answer. But as Nevaeh talked on, as Ruth's face grew tighter and tighter with frustration, anger, fury, Ruby realized what she should have figured out as soon as their Aunt said she couldn't get back to the building because of traffic. 

She was having her babies in her fucking apartment. 

"Fuck!" Ruby groaned as the next contraction hit.

"Ruth!" She yelled. Her sister was at her side in a second. Their hands found each other by instinct alone and as one they breathed through the next contraction. 

"Put her on speaker and have her talk you through the birth!"

Ruth's face went grey, and not because of the death grip her twin had on her hand.

"Can't you hold out a little longer?" She licked chapped lips, "I got a paramedic forty minutes away,"

Ruby shrieked, "No!" She exhaled shakily and tried to center herself in the pain, "They won't make it. I don't want to wait too long," Ruby's next breath was a sob. All the horror stories of mommy blogs haunting her at once. She couldn't lose her babies because she was too scared to do it without help.

"I need you to do this Ruth, I-I can't do it alone. I need you." Ruby searched her sister's eyes. Ruth met her gaze, not looking any more assured of herself than Ruby felt. 

Then she set her chin and nodded once. _I got you_

* * *

Erik's knee bounced a staccato beat under the table and it took everything in him to sit still and eat his meal. He'd woken up that morning feeling off. Erik had convinced himself that after as much time as he’s spent in the cold Jabarilands the more he acclimated to the time and culture difference.

While used to eccentric artists wasting weeks of his time, Erik wasn’t used to an artist like M’Baku.

The man valued his privacy fiercely, but Erik would put him more in the camp of a traditionalist than an eccentric. M’Baku hated the stranglehold technology had taken over most human interaction but understood Erik’s need to stay connected to Ruby.

"I have seven children myself. That is a truly delicate time for a woman," He'd sipped from a wooden bowl and studied Erik over the rim.

"I'm surprised you came all the way to Jabariland at so precious a time. I couldn't imagine being away from my Yara,"

And thus, the evaluation of Erik had begun. M’Baku started the mandatory shared breakfasts talking about work Erik has acquired throughout his career. He asked politely about Klaue's collection dedicated to the Afro-futuristic art movement but showed no interest in it. Then M'Baku would bring up his parentage, his alma mater, his military service.

M'Baku stripped him down to Erik’s accomplishments and asked him about his fuckups. He had a way of talking to Erik that was at once overfamiliar and distant. He answered Erik's questions as easily as he shot them at him. Soon enough a week had passed, Erik was starting to like the man, and he'd yet to convince him to sell a fucking sculpture. 

He'd be annoyed if he wasn't happy to have a buffer from Klaue's shit. Talking to M'Baku, and if he was being honest, thinking about Ruby had led to Erik reexamining his life.

Why did he continue to work for Klaue? He'd made enough money. He didn't particularly like his other clients either. If he adjusted his lifestyle he could live comfortably off his investments. Even pursue a different career. Why did he hunt like a dog for clients who didn't treat him any differently than one? Erik didn’t even know if he liked art anymore. He’d lost the connection to his artistic eye because so often he had to look at art from the position of a salesman.

His talks with M’Baku and all the hours of introspection had led Erik to realize he didn’t like his job anymore. Even if he didn’t choose to retire for good he needed to make a change in his life.

This epiphany came the same day Erik didn’t receive his good morning text from Ruby. She’d be setting up for dinner as he slept and had taken to leaving him messages to wake up to. It had become Erik’s favorite part of waking up. Apparently he’d also let it set the tone for the rest of his day. That absent message haunted him for the rest of the day.

M’Baku finally thought to give Erik a tour of his studio but Erik couldn’t even focus on the art surrounding him. His mind preoccupied with why Ruby wouldn’t have messaged him. Her due date was still some weeks away. Erik tried not to assume what place he had in her life, but he liked to think their friendship would warrant a text if she went into labor.

Even Ruth would text him. The sister had finally warmed to Erik, in her own, aggressive way. He would assume she’d fill him in if anything had changed in her condition. 

Unless something so bad had happened they couldn’t even think about texting him. An emergency or situation so dire that Erik was the last thing on both of their minds.

“You looked worried, ubhuti,” The large man studied Erik, “Is something wrong with your woman.”

Erik worked his shoulders, uncomfortable with such a personal line of questioning. Steeling himself he answered through his discomfort, “She usually has a message waiting for me when I wake up. I messaged her this morning but I still haven’t received a reply.”

Never before did Erik hate the distance between him and his quirky neighbor more. He should have pushed this trip back. He should have made his feelings clear before leaving. Ruby had been pregnant for as long as he’d known her, what did it matter if Erik asked her out before she had the babies. Why had he told himself to wait?

“Have you tried family members?”

Erik’s mouth felt dry, “I...texted her sister,” four words had never felt more inadequate. He’d met a lot of Ruby’s family at the baby shower. They’d all joked about him being the Baby Daddy, yet he didn’t have contact info for anyone but Ruth.

It would have been weird to try to establish outside contact with more of Ruby’s family. Now Erik felt like an idiot.

M’Baku’s face set, “You must go.”

Erik didn’t hesitate, “I know. But I have a commitment to Klaue…” he trailed off. What the fuck did Klaue matter when he needed to get to Ruby?

M’Baku waved an impatient hand. In Xhosa, he barked until two attendants approached.

“I will handle your boss. You go to your woman,”

Erik nodded and jogged off. All thoughts of how this would affect his career couldn’t get through the need to get to Ruby. Doubts followed him through the long corridors. _What if she’d forgotten and he showed up to a happy, healthy pregnant woman. What did Ruby owe him? She’d never said she would message every morning._

Erik tried calling Ruby’s cell once he reached his chambers and hastily packed. The call went straight to voicemail. He wasted no time hanging up and dialing Ruth next. He’d never thought he’d ever use the number she’d forced into his phone. Now he searched his contacts with stuttering fingers. Eyes shifting constantly between packing a suitcase watching the screen.

Ruth picked up after the second ring, “Nigga what!” 

Erik snatched the phone away from his ear but not fast enough. Wincing, he put the phone on speaker, “Where’s ya sister?”

“Busy, can I take a message?”

In the background, Ruby groaned low and long. Ruth’s attention snapped back to her sister without missing a beat, “You got it, you got it, you got it!” She chanted. Erik couldn’t make sense of the sounds he heard next but they made him pause with one hand in the air. The shirt in his first began to slip through his fingers when he heard a triumphant, infant cry.

“Holy shit, Rue!” Ruth spoke a little breathlessly. The mic in the phone picked up every panting breath and strong wail in equal measure. Erik listened intensely, he couldn’t hear whether Ruby was okay through the phone but he tried anyway.

"It’s a girl, mama. A baby girl,” Ruth sounded seconds away from tears. Erik sat weakly on his bed, overcome with emotion he didn’t know how to decipher. His chest felt full, his throat clogged and his eyes burned. But he was smiling all the while. The baby wailed for her mother. Raia had no connection to Erik whatsoever, but Erik wanted to meet her. He wanted to be there as Ruby brought baby number two in the world.

And if he was lucky, maybe one day she’d want to do this again. With him

“Are you on the phone?” Ruby sounded weak but the sweet dreamy voice Erik had missed sounded like music to his ears.

“Shit, oop!” Ruth cursed, “Sorry babies.”

At a lower voice, she said, “The nigga with the worst timing in history is on line two. Do you want to take his call.”

Erik tried to speak but his tongue felt heavy with emotion. After clearing his throat he said, “Don’t mind me. I can call back. Focus on…” Your babies? Erik didn’t know to say the words.

Before either sister could respond Erik ended the call. He dropped the phone on the bed and tried like hell to sort his feelings. His chest and his head felt as grey and stormy as the view outside Erik’s window. Just as well he hadn’t tried to go out in that, then. Ruby had Ruth and a whole family to visit her in the hospital. 

Right now neighbor Erik needed to remember his place and take a back seat. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Erik swiped at his face. He ignored any moisture he felt there and prepared himself to brave the rest of his stay with M’Baku. 

He needed to buy a fucking sculpture and get the fuck home. Erik didn’t know how much longer he could tolerate being just a neighbor.


	19. After Birth

Ruby tiptoed tiredly from the bed, her heart and body aching in equal measure. She left the twins swaddled and sleeping in bed. They’d slept during the ride to the hospital, their checkups.

And Ruby’s ordeal with a nurse, a doctor, and her very late midwife.

Once all that was sorted, Ruby left with her babies and her sister. She managed almost six hours of sleep before the twins woke her up. They were hungry and angry at her for making them wait so long to eat. After apologizing, Ruby managed to feed them one at a time. 

Rami remained fussy while his sister ate, so Ruby calmed him with her finger and hummed away frustration. She changed his diaper with one hand and called Ruth to take Raia while she fed a red in the face Rami. Ruby wanted to cry along with him but she just kept humming. She fed him and rubbed at his cheeks and forehead until, milk-drunk, he fell asleep.

Ruth appeared with a slumbering Raia minutes later. Together, the sisters swaddled the twins and soothed them when the shift woke them up a bit. Ruby settled close to them in bed and begged Ruth to get some sleep.

Ruby had no misconceptions about how easy it’d be to put the twins on a schedule so until she could she would use their needs and her intuition as a guide. Ruth had tried to insist on cleaning the mess they’d made when Ruby essentially gave birth in her living room. In the end, though her sister had slunk into Ruby’s library.

On her way down the hall, Ruby peeked inside and found Ruth slumped and snoring on the plush armchair. Leaving her to it, Ruby limped to the bathroom and tried not to think about how gross she looked and felt from head to toe. She’d never been afraid of a little gore but the mess of her lower half was unsightly. Quickly, gently, Ruby showered off and replaced the scent of labor and hospital off her skin.

Ruby left the bathroom, wrapped in her thickest most soothing terrycloth bathrobe a new woman. A mother.

* * *

The family came out in droves to see the twins. They were beloved and oblivious to it the way all infants are. Everyone wanted to hold them and point out the family features. Narrow chins and high, shiny foreheads. Cheekbones like high peaks, or so their aunties like to say. Raia, the more active of the twins was a dead ringer for their mother, everyone said it.

Her aunts brought family albums for Ruby to pour over. She put her photography skills to use to give the twins daily photoshoots. She could track their growth by the day. The little changes and early moments of personalty everyone else told her was just gas.

Every visit started with food. Ruby’s fridge was soon filled with all her favorites. Once it could no longer take the platters, bowls, and skillets, they began filling her pantry and the twins’ toy box.

On one visit, when Ruth was preoccupied chowing down on stuffing and yams, Ruby had Rami in her lap cooing at him and encouraging his reactions. Compared to Raia her little man was quiet. He got fussy when hungry or tired like any other baby. But where Raia had become a little noisemaker he was worryingly quiet. The pediatrician assured her he was on target as far as development for a two-month-old but nothing could stop a mother from worrying.

While Ruby attended to Rami her Aunt Nettie was on her knees watching Raia during her tummy time. She moved like she was already trying to crawl or scoot across the floor. Her neck control was getting better by the week. It made Ruby worry all the more if Rami was developing slowly or if she was an overachiever.

“Ruby,” Aunt Nettie called from the floor. When she had Ruby’s attention she smiled and scooped readjusted Raia, “What happened to your young man? The family kind of liked him.”

Ruby blinked, confused. From across the room, Ruth scoffed, “Erik, dummy.”

Shooting her an annoyed look, Ruby turned back to her aunt and adopted a more respectful expression. “You all know he’s not the father of Raia and Rami right? That was just a joke Ruth told,” she shot a glare at her sister, “That’s not funny anymore.”

Ruth rolled her eyes and returned her focus to her plate.

“Oh we know he wasn’t the father.” Pointedly her aunty added, “We also noticed he didn’t mind one bit that we thought he was.”

Refusing to acknowledge that Ruby adjusted Rami in her grip and rose to her feet, “I think it’s time for his tummy time.”

“We noticed he was a little sweet on our Ruby,”

“Ruth!” Ruby called over her shoulder, “Could you get my camera? I don’t think I took a picture of them in these nice outfits aunty bought them.”

With a scarily familiar expression, her aunt backed off and rubbed Raia’s back. No one said another word about her “young man” for the rest of the afternoon.

Still, Ruby couldn’t get him off her mind.

Erik had gone to Wakanda and come back without Ruby hearing anything of it. The daily texts had stopped. She replied to his message a few weeks after the facts and the conversation had been stilted ever since. He no longer popped by just to hang out in her kitchen while she baked. Not that Ruby had time to bake. Being a single mother to twins, even with Ruth’s help, was as demanding. Sometimes as heartbreaking as any night she spent on the line in Oliver’s kitchen.

Foodservice could break you and parenting put the hell she’d gone through to shame. 16-hour shifts had nothing on averaging two hours asleep in a 48 hour period if you were lucky. Her babies had strong lungs, of that Ruby was sure. And the more tired she got the harder it got to keep up in maintaining their needs and hers.

The baby weight practically fell off her but Ruby felt sickly not sexy. It was one thing to lose weight when you wanted to, but missing meals and breastfeeding left her feeling weak. Ruth stepped in more at that point. They worked in shifts where Ruby could sleep and eat. Sometimes Ruth would feed her if Ruby had to breastfeed one of the twins.

Nothing about her life had time for a man. So it was just as well he’d essentially dropped out of her life. By his own choice, Ruby maintained. No one asked but she said it often just in case they were thinking it. They being her babies and sister.

While seeing her Auntie out that evening Ruby’s eyes caught on someone lingering in the hallway. Her auntie carried on towards the stairs without paying the other person any mind, but Ruby couldn’t take her eyes away.

“Moira,” she managed. The other woman smiled, but it was a fragile mean thing. It didn’t suit her face, and Ruby saw her age for the first time.

“May I see them?” Her voice shook but there were no tears in her eyes. Just determination. 

“It won’t change anything.” Ruby sighed, “He has no tie to them so-”

“Oh, that?” Moira approached, her movements stilted. With shaking hands, she pulled out an orange folder.

“So that’s real then. They exist?”

Ruby couldn’t watch the hurt wrack through her. Thankfully, Moira locked away whatever she was feeling and met Ruby’s eyes. There was no malice or hate there, something Ruby would have expected if she were in her shoes.

“I want to talk, Ruby. I fucking hate what he’s done. But I want to hear your side and…” her eyes shone, “I’d like to see your babies myself.”

Ruby met Moira’s stare and said, “I trust that you think you want to see them. What I’ve done is unforgivable and I’m sorry I hurt you most of all. But I don’t feel comfortable letting you see them. When Oliver signed that document it was to prevent situations like this.”

Moira nodded her jaw set like steel, “Understood.” She put the folder back into her purse.

“I saw that you were selling your shares in the restaurants.”

Ruby nodded. She relaxed into the doorframe. Filling the space yet relieved Moira hadn’t put up a fight and pushed an unmovable boundary.

“Oliver is a terrible businessman. Look what a mess he’s made of us.”

Moira’s eyes flickered, “You’re a mess?”

Ruby nodded, “I don’t know what I put you through. I can only assure you that I never did anything with intent to hurt you despite knowing my actions would hurt you. Oliver made it all seem like some divine sacrifice. He made it out to be love.”

Moira shifted, “He told you he loved you?”

Ruby pressed her lips together but didn’t deny it. “He said a lot of things. Whatever he could to get what he wanted. I don’t know if he actually loved me in the end though.”

Surprisingly Moira laughed, “Well fuck,” 

Ruby watched with wide eyes as the smaller woman cackled and sniffed, doubled over with laughter. When she caught sight of Ruby’s expression her laughter intensified.

“If he doesn’t love you, and he bloody well doesn’t love me then all along he really was just thinking of fucking himself.”

Ruby didn’t get the joke but Moira’s laughter began to subside. She fixed Ruby with a searching gaze and shook her head, “I can’t believe you fucked my husband but I fully believe he lied to you about being in love. I’ve given that man 35 years and I’ve got a lot to show for it.” 

Moira wiped tears out of her eyes, “I shouldn’t have come here but I feel better for it if you can believe.”

Ruby shrugged. She needed to get back to her babies and away from this conversation. She was happy Moira had found some peace with the situation but was certain this needed to be the end of their relationship. When Ruby told Oliver she didn’t want any part of his life touching her babies she meant that.

Ruby watched as Moira excused herself and followed her descent down the stairs with her eyes. Once she was out of sight, Ruby swept the hallway for warm, brown eyes. A familiar habit from the days when she always happened to catch Erik as he was leaving or going into his apartment.

Of course, he wasn’t there. He hadn’t been there since Ruby had given birth. Oh, he texted. Responded when Ruby called. But the visits had stopped. She never saw him just to hang out anymore. Oliver’s dismissal of Ruby and her babies had left her more sensitive than she realized. Why else would Erik going ghost leave her feeling like she’d missed a step somewhere?

His distance from her life was disorienting and Ruby didn’t have time to be confused about the men in her life. Just because she’d gotten used to her presence didn’t mean he owed her anything. She just had a stupid crush at an emotionally vulnerable moment in her life. That’s all.

With one last, shameful glance towards Erik’s door, Ruby retreated into her apartment and locked the door.

* * *

Loud banging right outside his front door snapped Erik out of deep sleep and sent his blood racing. Flashes of late-night hazing in the barracks interspersed with the ruckus someone was making outside his door had Erik falling out of bed in his haste to force himself alert.

He managed to get his wits about him enough to make out the yelling, yet clumsily bumped into the wall on his way to the door. It couldn’t be earlier than 3 am at least, yet someone was making enough noise to wake the block on Erik’s door. Erik worried about Ruby and her babies. It didn’t like she had them on much of a sleeping schedule yet but he was sure this couldn’t be a worse time to wake up a couple of infants.

Swinging the door open Erik assessed the situation outside, fully expecting the police.

Instead, Ruth stood indignantly on the other side of the door. In one hand she held a little brown baby. Her free hand was raised in the same fist she’d used to beat the hinges loose on his door.

“Ruth, what the fuck!” Erik’s words caught up to him a second too late and looked at the infant in her arms with worry.

“Nah what the fuck you nigga? Where the hell have you been?”

Erik looked at her incredulously. Was this the twilight zone? Ruth had every one of the features he loved on Ruby, yet the fact that it was Ruth, right down to her mouth, was doing his head in. He half thought he’d imagined her as some sort of guilty version of self-flagellation but the baby. The cute chubby-cheeked baby, couldn’t be imagined.

“You fuck around and make a bitch think you hear to stay and then the going gets tough. And where the fuck are you?” The baby in her arms makes a noise, it almost sounds like a cosign. Her chubby little face stared at Erik with intent. Large dark eyes that bring Ruby to mind immediately.

Erik can’t think of a single reply. He’d meant to check in with Ruby as soon as she got back. He told himself to wait until she healed and had more time with the twins. But weeks passed and he didn’t know how to talk to her anymore. He wanted to ask after the twins but didn’t feel like it was his place. At one point her family was around nearly every day. The thought of wading through that many people that had probably known about his feelings before Erik did…

Yeah, he didn’t want to do that.

Every time Erik tried to speak the words rattling in his head into existence, the weight of their meaning held his tongue. His feelings for Ruby were beyond serious. Erik had never felt like this about anyone before and he wanted to be apart of her life in ways that scared him. It felt like too much to put on a new mother. And the idea of rejection scared him most of all.

So he suffered, silently, and drifted, unwillingly. 

Until Ruth had apparently tired of his shit it seemed.

“Now, do you want to be with my sister or not?” Ruth stared Erik down until he found his voice.

“More than anything.”

“Then _why_ aren’t you?” Ruth said it in such a way that Erik had to step back and think. Why wasn’t he with Ruby?

Unable to answer himself or Ruth, or the baby who’s large dark eyes hadn’t left his face. Looking at the baby, Erik knew immediately he’d fucked up. He’d been prepared to date Ruby knowing she was gonna be someone’s mother. And while he’d thought he was being considerate giving her time to adjust to having her babies, all he’d done was allow himself to bitch out.

He’d never felt this way about anyone before. Ruby was special, and more than that dating her would have more weight to it than any of his past situationships. Not because she had children to think of, although that would be a first for Erik, but because he saw a future in her. Erik wanted to make whatever they became work. He wanted the love he’d seen between his parents before bad luck and circumstance pulled them apart. Erik could see himself having a love like that with Ruby.

So like a coward, he’d stopped himself before making it happen.

“Here,” Ruth said suddenly. She gave him no time to react before she took his arm and positioned it to cradle the baby she then placed her in that arm. All before he could react. Why was he always 3 seconds behind this woman?

In seconds Erik held the soft, warm, weight of Ruby’s baby in the crook of his arm. The baby felt fragile. With an intuition that surprised himself, Erik adjusted until he could hold her comfortably and support her neck.

She had to be about two months old by Erik’s estimation yet she still looked so small. She stared up at him and Erik stared back down at her. They studied each other until the baby- Raia -looked away. Her eyes flicked to Ruth, who stood with her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face.

“So he’s not afraid of babies,”

Erik scoffed, “Who said I was scared of babies?” 

“Well, you were sprung two months ago. Then she gives birth and you ghosted.”

“I didn’t ghost,” Erik insisted. Raia made a noise, like she was trying to speak, “See, lil’ mama already know I ain’t ghost.” Instead, like a bitch, he’d let their conversations dry up. He stopped coming over as much as he was used to. Erik didn’t know what was worse.

“Was this all just some pregnant woman fetish?” Ruth’s voice, annoying at the best of times, shocked Erik.

He looked down at the baby, who wouldn’t understand what was going on anyway but he needed _some_ witness. Ruth was fucking batty!

“Look, woman. I love Ruby. I knew she was pregnant from day one and I never tried to get with her. I was her friend and then I wanted more. Don’t come in here putting shit on me-”

“You love me?” Ruth’s voice, only soft and dreamy instead of grating, silenced Erik’s rant.

Behind Ruth’s smug, fake surprised face, Ruby stood in her doorway. Rami’s head was on her shoulder and the loose, blue, linen overalls she wore left Erik struck dumb by her beauty. Seeing her almost every day had spoiled Erik rotten. Looking at her know he felt like a man starved taking in a feast. 

She was smaller post-pregnancy, softer, her glow not as pronounced. Her thick hair was hidden under a cherry red turban and her once full cheeks looked slim and satin-soft to touch. Erik had never wanted to touch someone so badly.

Smoothly, Ruth scooped Raia out of Erik’s arms with a, “Well I’ll let you two conversate. Me and my babies will get ready to go back to bed.”

Ruth then scooped a sleeping Rami into her arms as she passed Ruby. She nudged her sister out of her own doorway and then slammed the door behind her. 

Ruby stared between her door and Erik with a mix of panic and anxiety. Erik stared at Ruby and cursed himself for denying his feelings for her. 

“I missed you,” Erik said, like a simp. The toxic masculinity always knocking around the back of his mind balked at his vulnerability. But he didn’t want to hold himself back from Ruby, not again. He couldn’t imagine going back to a world where he didn’t get to see her.

Ruby met his eyes and it hurt him to see the guarded, polite mask she wore with everyone else. When she smiled, it was the way she smiled at everyone; sweet but cold, devoid of all the warmth Erik had been spoiled by during their friendship. And though it hurt, he knew he’d earned it. He’d put that guarded look in her eyes. Erik had no one to blame but himself.

“Did you?” Ruby’s voice sounded small, even smaller than she’d sounded in the doorway.

“I did,” Erik sighed. There was so much distance between them. When had he gotten so used to her in his space? When had the sight of her bouncing into his apartment at even the slightest sign of welcome become something he wanted? Something he noticed?

“Well, I’ve been right there the whole time,” Ruby said, and Erik didn’t miss the slight bitter bent to her otherwise pleasant tone. “I’m sure you heard the babies crying at all hours of the day.”

He had. And he hadn’t been annoyed. More...restless. It was a tension that followed him. A need to walk across the hall and see what was wrong took over Erik’s overall cowardly refusal to bother Ruby.

“I’m sorry,” Erik blurted.

Ruby finally looked at him, really looked at him. Erik didn’t think she could stare at him without searching for anywhere else to look, yet she met his eyes head-on.

“Are you,” she demanded.

Erik took a step forward, “Yes,” he insisted, “I’m sorry I distanced myself. I know no reason I can give could make up for how my actions made you feel but,” he swallowed thickly, “I’m really fucking sorry.”

“Just,” Ruby looked at her feet. Erik felt the loss of her eyes like a blow, “tell me why. I don’t want to be haunted by what-ifs.” 

Erik opened his mouth to answer but Ruby, still staring at her shoes, continued on before he could say anything.

"I understand we were just friends and maybe I was vulnerable after the whole Oliver business but you made it seem like I could rely on you and it sucked to turn around and have my best friend disappear on me."

Erik had smiled softly when she began rambling but by the end, he felt like shit all over again.

"I know, I'm so-"

"Do you actually love me?" Ruby interrupted. Her dreamy voice was sharp with urgency. She needed to know.

Erik met her eyes and didn't keep her waiting.

"I do. I love you with all of me Ruby Brown."


	20. Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we came to our end, thank you for reading

Erik hated mornings. He understood the necessity of them as a concept, and he didn't mind the mornings he woke up with his lady tucked into his side. But Ruby had a week of early morning all-day shoots. And Erik was on day three of waking up with the twins instead of his woman.

Actually, mornings with the twins weren't so bad. Rami had gotten into the habit of waking up and climbing into bed with Erik. He woke up earlier than Raia every morning and Erik liked to encourage his sign language or even coax a few words out of him before breakfast.

Raia was usually up and cranky by then. She'd yell at Erik about her dreams and yell what she was doing after she finished whatever breakfast Erik had made that morning. Volume control was still a work in progress but Erik and Ruby made it a point to encourage how naturally outspoken Raia could be.

On that particular morning, they were having french toast (because Rami asked for them) and Raia was loudly recounting her dream. Erik wasn't really following. She'd lost her train of thought after he reminded her not to talk with her mouth full. 

Rami had his eyes on the prize and focused on bringing eggs, bacon, and bread into his mouth. Erik kept one eye out in case he choked but otherwise listened to Raia. 

After breakfast, Raia and Rami helped Erik wash the dishes before settling down with a quiet activity. Raia had settled on the thick rugs in the living room to arrange a tea party with military-level focus. Erik avoided that area of the living room. He knew it was only a matter of time before she turned brown, doe eyes up at him, and said, "Daddy please?"

He was a sucker for those two words. And though he didn't have any reason to think so, Erik was sure the twins knew it.

The rest of the morning alternated between the twins doing their own thing and Erik guiding them through games disguised as lessons. Though nonverbal for the most part, Rami was highly intelligent for his age. During their one on one time, Erik would bring out puzzles and allow Rami to guide him through. 

Ruby read to the kids often. Sometimes Raia liked to sit in the library and study the pictures in whatever book caught. She could read, though not very well, and Erik liked having her read out loud to him while he worked on puzzles with Rami.

These activities usually carried them to lunch but today Erik had something special planned. 

"Alright little peoples, let's clean up and get ready to go out,"

"Can we get-" Raia yelled. Erik bopped her nose, "Inside voice, lil mama,"

She scrunched up her face and tried again, this time at a lower (though still kind of loud) volume.

"Can we get space cream?" 

Erik suppressed a laugh. 'Space cream' was what Raia had dubbed the liquid nitrogen ice cream shop not far from the apartment. Ruby and Erik had taken them once a few months ago and the twins had been obsessed with it since.

"Maybe," Erik hedged, "Can you and your brother get dressed before I finish packing our lunch today?"

Raia jumped in place with excitement. Rami mimicked his sister, jumping up and clapping.

Before Erik could remind them they had to get ready if they wanted space cream, Raia turned serious on a dime.

"Ra-man come on! We gotta go get ready!" She grabbed his hand and as a team, they ran off to their room.

Erik smiled after them and took his time packing lunch for the two of them. He would pick up his and Ruby's lunch on the way. Every now and then Raia hollered to Erik about not finding this or that in their drawers.

Rami brought Erik his shoes, but he still had his pajamas on. Erik turned him around and told him to put on outside clothes. A few seconds later Raia emerged wearing her yellow princess dress, green and pink polka dot tights, and jelly sandals.

It wasn't something Erik would have chosen himself but she was proud of her selection so he supported it.

"Good job lil mama," Erik praised, "You even got your shoes on the right feet!"

Raia twirled happily in the wake of his words. Rami appeared wearing a shirt with a giant train on the front and swim trunks. The shoes he'd brought to Erik earlier nowhere to be found.

"Two out of three ain't bad give me five," Erik held his hand out for Rami to slap. The four-year-old jumped and slapped Erik’s palm, a pleased expression on his little face.

“Alright now you guys beat me so I’m gonna finish up in the kitchen and get dressed.”

“Then we get space cream?” Raia asked with a hop.

Erik couldn’t fight the smile that spread across his face if he tried. Unable to stop himself he scooped Raia up and showered a little face with a kiss, “Then we can get space cream.”

At his feet Rami pressed his body against Erik’s leg and raised his arms, silently asking to be picked up too. Erik shifted Raia from his arms to his shoulder, and then scooped Rami up with his free hand.

Twin giggles filled Erik’s ears and finally, he had to admit. He didn’t hate mornings after all.

* * *

“And that, little people, is how you make apple pie cookies!” Ruby bit into flakey, buttery crust with a smile that widened when she caught sight of two familiar curly heads behind the lights and cameras.

Ruby’s heart fluttered as she realized the appearance of the twins meant Erik was somewhere on set.

She finished the rest of the scene with new energy. Brought forth by the knowledge she would walk off set to the smiles of her children and the strong arms of her loving husband. After only a year of marriage to the loving man in her life, Ruby still got a thrill out of referring to Erik that way. The joy she felt saying those words was trumped only by hearing her children, their children, call him “Daddy”.

Now that the demo was over, the director called cut and the hot lights dimmed to a more manageable glare. Ruby had no time to recover. A soon as the lights dimmed and the camera was off Raia and Rami ran face-first into Ruby’s legs. The whole set erupted into a mix of laughter and awes from the crew.

Ruby laughed and scooped her growing babies into her arms. She stubbornly reminding herself that she wouldn’t stop picking them up until they asked her to. Raia chattered on about the morning she’d had with Daddy while Rami pressed wet kisses to Ruby’s cheeks. Ruby listened to Raia and returned Rami’s kisses and cuddles with a skill only a mother possessed. Soon the set fell away and Ruby lost herself to the love bubble.

The love for her children was a love deeper and purer than anything Ruby had ever experienced. She’d thought she loved Oliver and she knew she loved Erik, but those loves didn’t come close to the primal, soul-deep love Ruby had for her babies. They were little people who relied on her love and care and gave love and affection as easily as breathing.

Being a mother was hard. Ruby had been more tired after a day with her babies than she’d ever experienced working in a kitchen. There were days that were harder than they were rewarding. Nights she stayed up worrying if she was doing enough if she were enough. 

Moments like this, listening to high pitched babble and feeling the sticky, tiny hands clutching at her with trust, Ruby didn’t think of those hard times. She thought of reading her babies to sleep or waking up to the sound of their laughter in the morning. These little memories carried her through long shoot days or when she had to leave for a week for work.

“Save some, mama for me guys!” Erik appeared at Ruby’s left. With ease, he scooped Raia out of Ruby’s arms and placed a kiss on Ruby’s lips, all in once motion.

“They got here first!” Ruby said. She tried to sound serious but she was smiling too hard to manage it.

Erik rolled his eyes and slipped his free arm around her waist. As easily as breathing they slipped into a familiar embrace, “You will never let that go will you?”

Kissing his fuzzy chin Ruby shook her head. “Nope!” Raia said. She took Erik’s cheeks in her small hands and smushed them together, “Too slow, daddy!”

Erik used his already puckered lips to kiss Raia’s forehead. Rami leaned out of Ruby’s arms and extended his face towards Erik.

“You want a kiss too little man?” before he could give him one Ruby held Rami close and started fake running away. She bounced Rami in her arms until he giggled and called back to Erik.

“Nope! This one's mine! You gotta catch us first,”

Erik smirked and adjusted Raia in his grip, “You wanna help me catch mommy?”

Kicking her legs Raia nodded, “Alright then say the thing I taught you,”

Raia, with a finger in her mouth and eyes wandering between Erik and Ruby, said, “Prepare for battle! We will defeat you!”

Ruby’s jaw dropped, “What are you teaching my babies?”

Erik moved Raia from his arms to his shoulders, “Teaching them to win,” he retorted, “You better run, Rai and I play to win. Right lil mama?”

“Right!” Raia echoed on command, “We’re gonna get you, mommy!”

With that Erik charged after Ruby and Rami. The adults were careful to direct their play out of the way of the crew and set a direct, though bouncy, course for Ruby’s trailer. There the small family enjoyed a happy lunch and from then on, lived happily ever after.


End file.
